When Saroj Sharma first moved to North Carolina in 1972, there were no places for her to pray. No temples she could go to for darshan or arti, religious practices central to Hinduism. No places to simply gather and talk with other Hindu or Indian people who lived in the area.
Today, that’s all changed. There are more than a dozen Hindu places of worship (or mandirs) across the Triangle, many concentrated in Western Wake County. Each follows its own tradition: from a large temple for Swaminarayan tucked along Aviation Parkway in Morrisville to a beautiful, intricate temple for Venkateswara in Cary, the largest in the state.
This week, priests, volunteers, and congregants at each temple are all busy preparing for Diwali, one of the largest and most universal Hindu festivals. The five-day celebration, this year spanning November 6-10, is also celebrated by Jains, Sikhs, and some Buddhists, and celebrated widely across India and Asia. In recent years, it has also become a major festival in Western Wake County…