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By SHERYL KAYAn intricately sculpted Hindu temple calls for a really grand entrance, a 70-foot one.
CARROLLWOOD - It is a tower that begins deep below the earth and stretches 70 feet into the sky, yet this time the neighbors don't seem to mind.
Unlike cell phone structures that mar the suburban skyline with metal beams, this tower is a true piece of art.
Called a Rajagopuram (Raja meaning king, Gopuram meaning gateway in Hindi, the language of India), the edifice will serve as the entrance to the Hindu Temple of Florida upon its completion next March.
It will be the tallest one in the United States.
"This is a reminder when I see it from the road that I seek his blessing and then turn inward," said Indira Sastry, chairwoman of the religious committee at the temple.
"God has created so much in abundance, so building this beautiful temple, the Rajagopuram, these are little ways of paying back and giving thanks for all of the blessings he has given to us."
Construction of the Rajagopuram began just over a year ago, almost a full decade after local Hindus began building the temple at 5509 Lynn Road, just north of Linebaugh Avenue midway between Dale Mabry Highway and the Veterans Expressway.
"Back then I had a much bigger vision," Dr. G.M. Ramappa, a pediatrician from New Port Richey and president of the Hindu Temple, said with a laugh. "I pictured it all bigger, but finances became an issue."
Yet it's hard to imagine how any structure could be any grander.
The inside of the 14,573-square-foot temple is not overly opulent, with wide open carpeted flooring and no chairs, as Hindus sit on the floor during services. In each corner, and in the center front, however, are recesses that contain deities. The gods are carved in black granite or white marble and are elaborately adorned in brass, silver and fresh flowers.
The outside walls of the temple have yet to be painted their final eggshell white, but the embellishments are profound.Through a process dubbed Indianization, sculptors, also called shilpis, have converted the masonry structure into an ornately sculptured traditional Hindu temple.
The same is being done on the Rajagopuram.
Working under the direction of the internationally renowned artist Padmasri Sri Muthiah Sthapathi (who has overseen the construction of more than 200 other Hindu temples), artists are flown in from Chennai, India, to work on the Rajagopuram.Most are in their late 20s, leaving behind their wives and children for up to a year before new sculptors are brought over.
The profession is often passed down from father to son.
"It is an inborn talent running from generation to generation," said Sastry, 40, an office manager from Town 'N Country. "I don't think there are any women in this profession."
The actual sculpting has only just begun on the Hindu Temple's Rajagopuram. Many traditional Hindu figures, such as flowers and elephants, have already been worked into the design. But the final artwork, still to be determined, will include an entire story from Hindu mythology.One possibility might be the account of Dashavatara, 10 incarnations of Lord Vishnu, who is the main deity at the temple.
Sastry is quick to point out one popular misconception about Hinduism.Many non-Hindus think the religion is based on polytheism, when it is not.
"We have many deities, but each one is one face of God," Sastry said. "We believe there is only one supreme God."
To date, worshipers have spent almost $3-million to build the temple and the Rajagopuram; another $300,000 to $400,000 will be required to complete the complex.Of the more than 4,000 people who attend services at the temple weekly, only one-tenth are members, so fundraising is critical to meet building deadlines.
"We have people who come from Port Charlotte to Crystal River, and even Gainesville sometimes," Ramappa said. "They want to have this nice place to come pray, and they can see it is real now, so I think they will want to help get it finished."
The temple's next major fundraiser will be a dance performance Sept. 17 at Sickles High School. The Bhaav Raag Taal fuses Eastern and Western dances.
- For more information about the performance or the Hindu Temple of Florida, visit its Web site at www.hindutempleofflorida.orgor call Dr. G.M. Ramappa at 727 869-1433.
Contact reporter Sheryl Kay at skreporter@hotmail.com