Shivalya of Downtown Chicago
The Shivalya of Downtown Chicago (SDC) is the Hindu temple and cultural center in heart of downtown Chicago, Illinois. Found and supported by humble devotees, SDC serves as a prayer and meditation center, for downtown Chicago dwellers.
- Deities adored at SDC are: Ganesh, Shiv-ling, Shiv and Parvati, Durga, Kartikey, Vishnu (Balaji) and Lakshmi, Sri Ram, Sita and Lakshman, Sri Hanuman, Sri Krishna and Radha, and Saraswasti
- Pran-pratishtha for Shiv Nagabharanam on March 10, 2013 at 9:30 AM.
| Shivalya of Downtown Chicago | |
|---|---|
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Hinduism |
| Festivals | Shiv-ratri, Vaikund Ekadashi, Ganesh Chaturthi, Nav-ratri, Janmashtami, Deepavali |
| Location | |
| Location | Chicago |
| State | Illinois |
| Country | United States |
| Geographic coordinates | 41.891801°N 87.636342°W |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Modern |
| Date established | September 2012 |
| Temple(s) | 1 |
| Website | |
| http://www.shivalya.org/ | |
Weekly events
Daily poojas start at 6:30 PM, followed by a Maha-arati around 7 PM.
- Monday: Shiv abhishek
- Tuesday: Hanuman Chalisa
- Wednesday: Group recitals
- Thursday: Sri Krishna bhajans
- Friday: Vishnu Sahasranam parayanam
- Weekends are packed with activities for both adults and children.
- Sponsored Lunch served on Sundays.
Major festivals and events
Shivalya celebrates all Hindu festivals including:
- Makar Sankranti/Pongal/Lohri: January
- Basant panchami: February
- Shiv-ratri: February or March
- Holi: February or March
- Ram-navami: April
- Hanuman Jayanti: April
- Akshay Tritiya: May
- Nag-panchami: August
- Raksha Bandhan: August
- Krishna Janmashtami: August
- Ganesh Chaturthi: September
- Nav-ratri/Dashera/Durga Pooja: Sept/October
- Karwa Chauth: October
- Deepavali/Diwali: Oct/November
- Vaikund-ekadashi: December
Special events
SDC recently celebrated pran-pratishtha of deities in 2012.
- Upcoming celebrations include Janmashtami on August 28, 2013
- Upcoming 1 year anniversary celebration on September 29, 2013
Shivalya Cultural center
Shivalya aims to be a learning center for kids growing in the downtown. Various classes are conducted for kids of all ages on Saturdays and Sundays.
SDC cultural center welcomes new and seasoned learners.
- Yoga classes
- Weekend School - Music, Arts, Religion and language
- Meditation Sessions
Facility
The temple has a prayer hall, auditorium and a library with audio and video facilities. Elevator in the building. Street and garage parking is available.
Temple hours are:
- Monday-Friday: 11AM - 8PM
- Saturday-Sunday:9AM - 7PM
Management and volunteers
SDC is managed by noble minded volunteers and bhaktas.