First Hindu Temple in the West, San Francisco, CA
First Hindu Temple in the West, also known as the Old Temple, corner of Filbert and Webster Streets, San Francisco, California. The building was constructed in 1905 by the Vedanta Society of Northern California Vedanta is one of the six schools of Hindu philosophy. A young disciple of Vedanta, Swami Trigunatita, took over the society's leadership in 1902 and planned the temple that would become the organization's headquarters. In 1905 the first two floors were constructed in a conventional Western design. In 1908, Trigunatita, in collaboration with architect Joseph Leonard, added a third floor and a profusion of towers and domes, transforming the prosaic structure into a unique example of architectural eclecticism. In 1915, during the PanamaPacific International Exposition, the temple became an urban landmark, and its exotic architecture became a symbol of San Francisco's claim to be the "Gateway to the Orient". The temple was renovated in 2017 and is still in use as a residence for monks and a location for Friday night meetings and Sunday school.
First Hindu Temple in the West, San Francisco, CA
First Hindu Temple in the West, also known as the Old Temple, corner of Filbert and Webster Streets, San Francisco, California. The building was constructed in 1905 by the Vedanta Society of Northern California Vedanta is one of the six schools of Hindu philosophy. A young disciple of Vedanta, Swami Trigunatita, took over the society's leadership in 1902 and planned the temple that would become the organization's headquarters. In 1905 the first two floors were constructed in a conventional Western design. In 1908, Trigunatita, in collaboration with architect Joseph Leonard, added a third floor and a profusion of towers and domes, transforming the prosaic structure into a unique example of architectural eclecticism. In 1915, during the PanamaPacific International Exposition, the temple became an urban landmark, and its exotic architecture became a symbol of San Francisco's claim to be the "Gateway to the Orient". The temple was renovated in 2017 and is still in use as a residence for monks and a location for Friday night meetings and Sunday school.