Sunnyvale, California is home to a vibrant and diverse Hindu community, with several beautiful temples that offer visitors an opportunity to explore and learn about the rich spiritual and cultural traditions of India.
We have listed 9 such Hindu Temples in Sunnyvale which has an amazing vibe for everyone who wants to connect back to their rituals, ancient knowledge and wisdom.
Table of Content: #1. Hindu Temple & Community Center #2. Shiv Durga Temple of Bay Area #3. Sri Maha Kaleshwar Mandir #4. Shirdi Sai Darbar #5. Shiva-Vishnu Temple #6. Balaji Temple #7. ISKCON of Silicon Valley #8. BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir #9. Shri Krishna Vrundavana Temple
#1. Hindu Temple & Community Center, Sunnyvale
It was August 1991 when Mr. Raj Bhanot, a very active member of the Hindu community in the Bay Area, arranged a get-together at his house to discuss the idea of having a place to congregate, conduct prayers, and other religious ceremonies in the South Bay. The existing facilities at that time were either too small and confining or too far away, thus alienating the younger generation from connecting and pursuing Hindu religious traditions. In December 1991, Raj Bhanot, Balwant Birla, Rajinder Sharma, and their friends made a board decision to create a Hindu Temple in the South Bay.
The current property, which spans 37,600 square feet on a 3.15-acre land, was officially registered as the Hindu Temple and Community Center on December 23, 1993.
Temple architecture:
The Hindu Temple and Community Center of Sunnyvale has a basic Hindu shikharbaddha dome structure.
Temple Guidelines:
- Remove footwear upon entering the main mandapa.
- No food or drink is allowed on the premises. Please discard chewing gum prior to entering. There is a separate kitchen area for food and if there is any occasion on the day of your visit, you might get free prasadam from the temple.
- No pets are allowed within the complex.
- Littering is not allowed and people here are conscious about keeping and maintaining the premises neat and clean.
- Maintaining peace here is considered a good practice because people can be sighted meditating.
- Required pooja samagri will be provided within the temple premise. Devotees can bring prasads, fruits and flowers.
- You can ask for a receipt for large donations.
- People are often confused about parking here because parking lots are less in front of temple but there is a huge Parking lot if you check at the back side.
Dress Code for Hindu Temple & Community Center of Sunnyvale:
- There is no mention of dress code.
Deities at the Hindu Temple & Community Center of Sunnyvale:
The temple has many idols circularly arranged with marble statues of Ram, Sita & Radha Krishna idols being centrally located. They do have other idols like few of the Dashavathars, Lakshmi Narasimhar etc.
The temple has a total of 32 idols covering almost all the gods that are worshiped in all parts of India be it north or south.
Timings:
- Open all days of the week from 9am to 7pm.
Services offered at the Hindu Temple & Community Center of Sunnyvale:
- Archana (All Deities)
- Vaahana Pooja / Car Pooja
- Satyanarayna Katha
- Navagraha Pooja
- Annaprasana
- Punyaha Vachana
- Namakarana
- Shanti Havan / Poojas
- Gruhapravesh/Bhoomi Pooja/Office Poojas
- Havans (Rudra, Durga, Mrityunjaya, Ganesha)
- Weddings / Yagnopaveetham
Find this temple on Google Map here.
Also read about best Malibu Hindu temples.
#2. Shiv Durga Temple of Bay Area
Established in December 2012 by Acharya Krishna Kumar Pandey, who is also an Indian Army veteran and has served as temple priest to Vaishno Devi in Jammu. The temple was opened with the objective of spreading Hindu culture and traditional values in and around the San Francisco Bay Area.
The temple holds weekly aarti, kirtan, religious discourse and community kitchen for the devotees. Hindi classes and Yoga sessions are some of the unique activities offered at the temple.
Temple architecture:
Western commercial.
Temple Guidelines:
- Remove footwear outside.
- No food or drink is allowed on the premises. You can keep water.
- No pets are allowed within the complex.
- Bhajan kirtan happens on every Sunday and anyone can participate and sing.
- You can find important plants like Tulsi, Peepal, Vatvriksh, Triveni etc which are considered important for the Hindu rituals in the temple premises itself.
- Temple staff is very tech savvy. You can connect them on social media and emails to discuss about your pooja and other temple related activities.
Dress Code at the Shiv Durga Temple of Bay Area:
- Devotees must be covered from shoulders to knees.
Deities at the Shiv Durga Temple of Bay Area:
The temple has very beautiful idols of Durga, Sri Ram Darbar, Radha Krishna, Ganesha, Hanuman, Shiv & Parvati, Sai Baba and Navgraha.
Timings:
- Open all days of the week from 10am to 8:30pm.
Services offered at the Shiv Durga Temple of Bay Area:
- Rudrabhishekam every Monday at 7 pm
- Hanuman Ji Pooja and Abhishekam on every Tuesday and Sundar Kand
- Mata Ki Chauki
- Satya Narayan Katha
- Navgrah Pooja
- Ganesh and Lakshmi Abhishekam and Pooja
- Griha Pravesh
- Vastu Pooja
- All kind of ritual Mundan, Anna Prashan , Yagyopaveetam , Wedding Ceremony
Find this temple on Google Map here.
#3. Sri Maha Kaleshwar Mandir Santa Clara
Sri Maha Kaleshwar Mandir is the first Jyotirlingam Shiva temple in the United States. It is a two ton granite shivlingam with 1008 individual shivalingams inscribed upon it hence is called sahasralingam. It was inaugurated on August 28, 2010 by Swami Sathasivom, head priest of Sri Kalikambal Temple in Chennai, India, and President and Founder of Sree Narayanee Kalikambal Sathasivom Foundation.
Temple architecture:
Western commercial.
Temple Guidelines:
- Silence your cell phone.
- Devotees are required to ask permission before taking photographs, video or audio recordings.
- You can offer to assist with setup or cleanup for the events happening in and around the temple.
- The Shrine place, a section where people meditate and do Japa (chanting), is a no sound zone.
- The temple has a kids play room where you can leave your kids to mingle with other kids while you perform your pooja.
- The temple administration is very strict about timing hence please confirm with them whether it is open or not before starting your journey.
- You can bring prasad offering to the temple. The temple administration prefers items like fruits, flowers, or small quantities of home-cooked vegetarian food that has not been tasted (rice dishes, milk puddings and sweets, etc., made with no eggs or non-vegetarian items, garlic, or onions).
Dress Code for Sri Maha Kaleshwar Mandir Santa Clara:
- Devotees must be covered from shoulders to knees because someone might interrupt you here as it is experienced by certain devotees.
Deities at the Sri Maha Kaleshwar Mandir Santa Clara:
- Sri Maha Kaleshwar
- Lord Shiva Nataraja
- Maha Ganapathy
- Lord Subrahmanya/Murugan
- Maha Meeru (Sri Chakra Puja)
- Maha Lakshmi
- Lord Balaji
- Sri Pratyangira Devi
Timings:
- Open all days of the week from 5am to 8:45pm.
Services offered at the Sri Maha Kaleshwar Mandir Santa Clara:
- Ganesha Homam
- Rudra Homam
- Sudarshan Homam
- Maha Mrityunjaya Homam
- Nawa Graha Homam
- House Warming Ceremony
- Naming ceremony
- Anaprasanam
- Upanayanam
- Wedding Ceremony
- Satya Narayana Pooja
- Ananta Padmanabha Vratam
- Chandi Parayanam
- Sundarkand Parayanam
- Vehicle Pooja
- Shradha Pooja
Find this temple on Google Map here.
Also read about Hindu Temples near DFW, Dallas, Irvin, North Texas.
#4. Shirdi Sai Darbar Sunnyvale, also called Bay Area Hindu Temple
The Bay Area Shirdi Sai Darbar was started on Feb 24th 2011 and the life size with Dwarkamai murthi had arrived on June 3rd 2011 followed by pran pratistha on 19th June 2011. The temple is dedicated to Sai Baba along with some prominent Hindu gods.
Temple architecture:
A basic Hindu shikharbaddha dome structure with Sai Baba’s life size idol at the front.
Temple Guidelines:
- Remove footwear upon entering the main mandapa.
- Temple neither accepts flowers nor provides flowers as Prasad.
- If devotees would like to bring prasad (even Milk or Fruits), kindly offer it yourself from the darshan line and take it home.
- Please do not keep Prasad near Idols or anywhere in the Temple.
- No food or drink is allowed on the premises. Please discard chewing gum prior to entering.
- No pets are allowed within the complex.
- Please be patient with others in the line as some people take time to offer their prayers.
- Please do not step into the center carpet area in Sathya Sai Hall or Shiva Hall.
- Please use the trash can near the exit door to dispose-off gloves and do not throw it in the parking lot or outside the temple
Dress Code for Shirdi Sai Darbar:
- Devotees of Sai Baba must be covered from shoulders to knees.
Deities of the Shirdi Sai Darbar of the Bay Area:
- Lord Shiva
- Lord Hanuman
- Lord Ganesha
- Lord Murgan
- Radha Krishna
- Kaali
- Maha Laxmi
- Tirupati Balaji
- Nav Grah
- Lord Shani
- Lord Ram
- Lord Ayyappa
- Devi Padmavati
Timings:
- Only open Thursdays (all day for Devotees darshan only): 7:00am to 9:00pm
Services offered at the Yugal Kunj Radha Krishna Temple
- Garah Shanti pooja
- House Warming
- Abishekam for all dieties
- Ashtottara Archana
- Car (Vahana) Puja
- Homam
- Sahasranama Archana
- Satyanarayana Puja(only Poornima Day)
- Srinivasa kalyana Utsavam
- Sai Vrat Pooja
- Special Pooja on Grahan/ Poornima/ Amavasya
- Pradosha Pooja
Find this temple on Google Map here.
If you are visiting Atlanta, check these Hindu Temples of Atlanta, Georgia.
#5. Shiva-Vishnu Temple Livermore
Also known as Hindu Community and Cultural Center (HCCC) of Livermore. It was established in 1977 with the goal of offering religious services to Hindu community. The idol you see in the temple was donated by the Tamil Govt in 1984-85. Then the foundation stone was laid by Sri. N.T.Rama Rao. followed by ceremonies for the cultural center by Pt. Ravi Shankar and Ustad Ali Akbar Khan. Since its inception, in the last 35 years the HCCC has evolved into an established institution as a place of worship or spiritual practice.
Temple architecture:
The temple has miniature form of Dravidian style architecture.
Temple Guidelines:
- Remove footwear upon entering the main mandapa.
- No food or drink is allowed on the premises.
- No pets are allowed within the complex.
- Park in temple south parking lot only in the marked area for devotees.
- Proceed to the shoe rack area in front of the admin building to leave your footwear. Although it will be far easier if you leave your shoe in the car.
Dress Code for Shiva-Vishnu Temple Livermore:
- Devotees must be covered from shoulders to knees.
Deities at the Shiva-Vishnu Temple Livermore:
- Lord Ganesh
- Lord Murgan
- Bhooma Devi
- Ram Darbar
- Lord Krishna
- Navagraha
- Lord Hanuman
- Laxmi Narayan
- Shiva Parvathi
Timings:
- Open all days of the week: 9am to 12pm & 6pm to 8pm
Services offered at the Yugal Kunj Radha Krishna Temple
- All kind of rituals and Samskaras
- Maha Mrityunjaya Homam
- Nawa Graha Homam
- House Warming Ceremony
- Naming ceremony
- Anaprasanam
- Upanayanam
- Wedding Ceremony
- Satya Narayana Pooja
- Ananta Padmanabha Vratam
- Chandi Parayanam
- Sundarkand Parayanam
- Vehicle Pooja
- Shradha Pooja
Find this temple on Google Map here.
#6. Balaji Temple of San Jose
The Balaji Temple of San Jose was established by Swami Narayananda in the year 2006. The permanent center in San Jose was inaugurated in the year 2012 from May 30 – June 3. The ceremony was attended by Dave Cortese, serving on the Santa Clara Board of Supervisors and the Mayors of Milpitas and Sunnyvale. The temple also received a certification of recognition from the California State Assembly for the contribution to the community. The temple inaugurated a shrine dedicated to Sai Baba and Panduranga deities in 2013.
Temple architecture:
Western commercial building modified and transformed into a shikharbaddha dome structure.
Temple Guidelines:
- Remove footwear upon entering the main mandapa. There is a shoe holder right side of the main entrance.
- No food or drink is allowed on the premises. Please discard chewing gum prior to entering.
- No pets are allowed within the complex.
- Devotees are not allowed to touch the idols.
Dress Code for Balaji Temple of San Jose:
- Devotees of Balaji must be covered from shoulders to knees.
Deities at the Balaji Temple of San Jose:
- Lord Ganesha,
- Sri Durga,
- Murugan,
- Shiva,
- Ammavaru and Sri Balaji,
- Vasavi Devi,
- Radha Krishna,
- Rama Darbar which includes Shri Ram and Seetha, Lakshmana and Shri Hanuman.
- Shirdi Sai
Timings:
- Except on weekends, open all days of the week from 9am to 5pm.
- For Saturday & Sunday, the timing is 7:30am to 8:30pm.
Services offered at the Balaji Temple of San Jose
- All kind of rituals and Samskaras
- Maha Mrityunjaya Homam
- Nawa Graha Homam
- House Warming Ceremony
- Naming ceremony
- Anaprasanam
- Upanayanam
- Wedding Ceremony
- Satya Narayana Pooja
- Ananta Padmanabha Vratam
- Chandi Parayanam
- Sundarkand Parayanam
- Vehicle Pooja
- Shradha Pooja
- Teachings of Hinduism & Holy Scriptures Including Bhagavat Gita, Ramayana and other scripture recitation
- Guided Meditation.
Find this temple on Google Map here.
#7. ISKCON of Silicon Valley
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (known as ISKCON) is a well known Hindu organisation following Gaudiya parampara having its branches throughout the world. The Iskcon of Silicon Valley was established in 1998
Temple architecture:
Western residential.
Temple Guidelines:
- Remove footwear upon entering the temple.
- No food or drink is allowed on the premises.
- No pets are allowed within the complex.
- People here address each other as “Prabhuji” but it is not expected from visitors to address in the same way. Although you might get treated as an insider once or twice when you address someone as Prabhuji.
- There is often prasadam (food that has been offered to Krishna) distribution going on in the Iskcon that you can get free of cost.
Dress Code for Iskcon of Silicon Valley:
- Devotees must be covered from shoulders to knees.
Deities of the Iskcon of Silicon Valley:
- Gaurang Mahaprabhu
- Radha Krishna
- Nrisingha narayan
- Prabhupada
Timings:
- Open all days of the week from 9am to 8pm.
Services offered at the Iskcon of Silicon Valley
- Darshan, Arti & Prasadam.
- All the major Hindu festivals are celebrated here and you can also do your pooja on these days.
- All the other pooja services are also available on request.
Find this temple on Google Map here.
#8. BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir – San Jose
BAPS stands for Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha which is a Hindu denomination within the Swaminarayan Sampradaya and has Hindu temples throughout the USA having one of their most popular temples near Silicon Valley.
Temple architecture:
Western Commercial.
Temple Guidelines:
- Remove footwear upon entering the main mandapa.
- No food or drink is allowed on the premises. Please discard chewing gum prior to entering.
- Cell phones must be switched off inside the Mandir. Please observe silence and refrain from touching or leaning against the delicate carvings in the Mandir.
- No photography or video inside the main structure of the temple is allowed. Professional photography or photo sessions with any photography gear are not permitted anywhere.
- Children are welcome. However, visitors aged 16 or under must be accompanied by a responsible adult at all times.
- No pets are allowed within the complex.
Dress Code for BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir of San Jose:
- All clothing must cover shoulders and knees (wraps provided). Please leave all personal belongings /backpacks inside your vehicle.
Deities of the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir of San Jose:
- Shri Akshar Purushottam Maharaj
- Shri Radha-Krishna Dev
- Shri Guru Parampara
- Shri Sita-Ram Dev
- Shri Shiv-Parvati Dev
- Shri Nilkanth Varni
Timings:
All day: 7am to 11am, 4pm to 7pm (closed between 6pm to 6:30pm)
Services offered at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir of San Jose
- The Nilkanth Varni Abhishek Mandapam is located on the ground floor of the Mandir. This sacred part of the Mandir welcomes all visitors to participate in the ‘Abhishek’ ritual amidst the chanting of prayers and mantras.
- Weekly Assembly.
- The Gift & Book Shop.
- Snacks and sweet shop
Find this temple on Google Map here.
#9. Shri Krishna Vrundavana Temple of San Jose
The Shri Krishna Vrundavana temple in San Jose was established on July 6th, 2013 by Suguneendra Theertha Swamiji of Udupi Sri Puthige Matha. The temple is affiliated to Sujnana Religious & Charitable Foundation (SRCF). The presiding deity in the Shri Krishna Vrundavana temple is Shri Lord Venkateshwara. In line with the Dwaitha philosophy of “Hari sarvottamatva-Vayu jeevottamathva” the Vrundavana worships Mukhyapraana, in the form of Sri Hanuman.
Temple architecture:
Western residential.
Temple Guidelines:
- Remove footwear upon entering the main mandapa.
- No food or drink is allowed on the premises.
- No pets are allowed within the complex.
- Parking can take 10-15mins as street parking needs some tag.
- At night around 19:45-20:00 they serve delicious food.
Dress Code for Shri Krishna Vrundavana Temple of San Jose:
- Devotees of Ambaji must be covered from shoulders to knees.
Timings:
- Open all days of the week from 7am to 1pm and 4pm to 8pm.
Services offered at the Shri Krishna Vrundavana Temple of San Jose
- All kind of rituals and Samskaras
- Maha Mrityunjaya Homam
- Nawa Graha Homam
- House Warming Ceremony
- Naming ceremony
- Anaprasanam
- Upanayanam
- Wedding Ceremony
- Satya Narayana Pooja
- Ananta Padmanabha Vratam
- Chandi Parayanam
- Sundarkand Parayanam
- Vehicle Pooja
- Shradha Pooja
Find this temple on Google Map here.
