The Shri Venkateswara (Balaji) Temple () is a large functioning Hindu temple in the United Kingdom, Europe. It is dedicated in the

Vaishnava Vaishnavism () ), also called Vishnuism, is one of the major Hindu traditions, that considers Vishnu as the sole supreme being leading all other Hindu deities, that is, '' Mahavishnu''. It is one of the major Hindu denominations along wit ...

tradition to a form of the supreme Hindu god Maha Vishnu, who is believed to be the preserver and protector of the universe. The temple is located in Tividale, West Midlands, England between the suburbs of

Tipton Tipton is an industrial town in the metropolitan borough of Sandwell, in the county of the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. It had a population of 38,777 at the 2011 UK Census. It is located northwest of Birmingham and southeas ...

and Oldbury, northwest of

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...

city. The temple was designed with inspiration from the Tirupati Venkateswara Temple in Andhra Pradesh, India. The temple was consecrated and opened to the general public in August 2006. The primary deity worshiped at this temple is

Venkateswara Venkateswara (, ), also known as Venkatachalapati, Venkata, Balaji and Srinivasa, is a Hindu deity, described as a form or avatar of the god Vishnu. He is the presiding deity of Venkateswara Temple, Tirumala, Venkateswara Temple, Tirupati. Hi ...

, a well known manifestation of the supreme lord Maha Vishnu (He is one of the three supreme gods in the Hindu triumvirate, along with Brahma and Shiva, who are responsible for the creation, maintenance, and destruction of the world). Within the main temple complex are also shrines to his consort Padmavati (Alamelu). The temple also houses shrines to other major Hindu deities such as

Hanuman Hanuman (; , ), also known as Maruti, Bajrangabali, and Anjaneya, is a deity in Hinduism, revered as a divine ''vanara'', and a devoted companion of the deity Rama. Central to the ''Ramayana'', Hanuman is celebrated for his unwavering devotio ...

Shiva Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...

, Karthikeya,

Ganesh Ganesha or Ganesh (, , ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped Deva (Hinduism), deities in the Hindu deities, Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in the Ganapatya sect. His depictions ...

, Ayappan and the

Navagraha The navagraha are nine heavenly bodies and deities that influence human life on Earth according to Hinduism and Hindu mythology. The term is derived from ''nava'' ( "nine") and ''graha'' ( "planet, seizing, laying hold of, holding"). The nine part ...

. The temple runs the Balaji School for Culture & Education which provides spiritual and cultural foundation for children and arranges classes on Veda (Hindu scriptures), music etc. The temple has a large Community Hall. The temple also provides free Matrimonial service by helps one find a suitable marriage partner. On site facilities include a large community centre, a gatehouse and a Gandhi Peace Centre. The temple operates annadhanam services, providing free meals for visitors funded by donations. Seeing up to 1500 visitors during the weekdays and 2500 visitors in the weekends, the temple does not only cater to the religious and spiritual requirements of Hindus. It receives over one hundred visits from special interest groups all across the UK and Europe, while playing an active role in supporting the community by welcoming school trips, hosting various cultural events and holding classes and teaching sessions in Vedic studies and Sanskrit for young people. The temple is a non-profit organisation and is a recognized charity in the UK.

References

External links

Shri Venkateswara (Balaji) Temple official site
Hindu temples in England Religious buildings and structures in the West Midlands (county) Tipton Venkateswara temples {{WestMidlands-struct-stub