Our Temple is known today as the Minnesota Hindu Dharmic Sabha Vishnu Mandir and has grown over a relatively long period. In the early 1970s, a small community of immigrants from South America, settled in the Twin Cities. Many of them had known each other while in their home country, namely Guyana and Trinidad.

            Our devotees, who kept their cultures and traditions from India, also known as Bharat, and whom are descendants of India, worked towards establishing a functioning body and conducted the necessary Samskaras or Rites of passage, including Marriages, Funerals and Births rituals. Pandit Paul Persaud, at the time, took leadership of the community and conducted weekly religious services at member’s place of residence.

            In 1975, efforts were made to further establish a central location, mission and clear structure by our community members. For the next ten years, the community members met in several temporary locations to perform Yagnas. Temple members, during this time, contributed tremendously.

            Latchman’s family, a long-established family in the Twin Cities, held Yana services at their home to bring together the community members and enhanced our community mission and vision. Nearly three hundred people attended the opening events. A place of worship was built in the basement of their home. Services and Rituals continued at this location and after a few years, the congregation grew, and Services were moved to a refurbished one-car garage on their property. Then, a new garage was built on the property of Pundit Paul Persaud’s residence with members contribution and Services were conducted here for a period of nine years.

            In early 1984, the Temple leaders acquired a store-front building on Lyndale Avenue in Minneapolis and decided to renovate it into a Mandir. Before the Temple could be officially opened in 1995, it had to register itself with the state as a non-profit religious Organization. This led to creation of a governing constitution and the adoption of a name, Minnesota Hindu Dharmic Sabha Vishnu Mandir.

            Thanks to the many contributions and efforts made by our community families, MHDS Vishnu Mandir, which was founded in October, 1985, our community consists of more than 100 families attending. MHDS Vishnu Mandir is a non-profit Organization keeping our cultures and traditions alive.

 

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