ABOUT HTAV

An oasis in the high desert city of Lancaster, California, the Hindu Temple of Antelope Valley (HTAV) stands as a vibrant testament to the rich traditions and beliefs of Sanātana Dharma (Hinduism). The vision of the temple’s founders was to establish a spiritual center that grounds modern society’s spiritual needs in the core values and tenets of ancient Hinduism.

Construction of the main temple hall was completed in May 2015. One year later, the temple’s Prana Prathishta inauguration took place from June 15th-18th, 2016, presided by Her Holiness Pujyasri Mathioli Saraswathy Amma. Pujyasri Amma’s divine personality was the driving force and inspiration for Dr. Anil Kumar, the late President and Founder of the Hindu Temple of Antelope Valley, to undertake this monumental project.

In 2022, HTAV added a beautiful social hall to complete the Phase 2 ensemble of buildings. The hall is available for rent and the foundation has been laid for future construction of a kitchen. In 2023, HTAV completed yet another exciting milestone, with the opening of the Mathioli Saraswathy Meditation Center.

Our temple serves as a hub for cultural and community activities throughout the year. We host a variety of festivals, speakers, classes, and cultural events that showcase the dynamic tapestry of Hindu traditions. HTAV is also a venue for special occasions, including weddings, new car blessings, and many other life ceremonies. From Diwali and Holi to life celebrations, HTAV brings together families, friends, and the wider community, fostering unity and understanding.

OUR MISSION

The mission of Hindu Temple of Antelope Valley (HTAV) is to serve devotees and the surrounding community with a place of worship (Bhakti), knowledge (Gnana), and service (Seva).

Besides daily puja rituals that reverberate divine sounds and energies, the temple holds periodic discourses and classes to spread education on yoga, the Gita, Ramcharitmanas, and other religious texts. In association with larger institutions, such as the Chinmaya Mission and Nandalala Missions, HTAV disseminates crucial knowledge though discourses by scholars, visiting swamis, and teachers. Balavihar classes for children and bhajan gatherings are held at the temple on a regular basis.

HTAV’s third mission is Seva (service) to the local community and to the needy elsewhere. Past community service initiatives have included homeless feeding and distribution of materials, such as packaged foods, toiletries, blankets, and supplies. HTAV has provided scholarships for needy students at schools, particularly, AV High School. HTAV has also assisted the pantry at Antelope Valley College, and it has undertaken international efforts for the needy in India and Sri Lanka.

TEMPLE ARCHITECTURE

The temple's stunning architecture, designed by Cyrus Subawalla of CSA Partners Ltd, reflects the unique blend of ancient Indian aesthetics and modern design, creating a harmonious setting for spiritual contemplation and worship. Inside the temple hall, Lord MahaVishnu's commanding presence invokes the power of devotion. He is surrounded by various deities, including the only Sri Akhilandeshwari sanctum in all of North America. Soak in the energy of enchanting rituals that take place daily and experience the grace of the Divine Mother in HTAV's uniquely designed meditation center.

The main entrance sequence, or ‘Maha-Mandapa,’ was designed as a series of gateways similar to that of a hypostyle hall - a traditional motif found in most classical architectural styles. However, we inserted a modernist glass cube into the space to create a year-round structure that is both transparent and weatherproof. The transparency of the ‘Maha-Mandapa’ thereby inspires the devotee to pass through each portal in cognition of a journey from the profane to the sacred, with the structure of the Temple itself elevated on a plinth.

HTAV’s unique architecture is in line with a traditionalist temple of northern and southern Indian confluence, placed behind modernist supporting facilities designed to inspire younger generations to fervent worship. The temple’s finial was designed after the pattern of a Shikhara found in the Kangra temple district of Himachal Pradesh. The selection pays homage to the cultural attribution of Kangra as a birthplace of Hinduism, noting that the quadripartite Shikara at Kangra is also one of few Indian temples to succesfully conjoin the traditions of Vishnu and Shiva worship.

The temple’s award-winning architect provided the following additional design insights:

Sacred architecture is considered successful when it provides the physical and spatial container that evokes path, procession, prayer, and sacrifice. In this temple, a devotee transitions, both literally and figuratively, through a pillared entry portico into a 50x 65 foot column-free glazed maha-mandapa or grand hall, which in turn leads the procession to the garb-griha or womb house. The journey towards the sanctum is always through a progression from light into darkness, from open and large spaces to a confined and small “cave.” Transparency, both literal and phenomenal, incorporates the beauty of nature (the neighboring park and the California light) in the worship experience – key to the Hindu faith.

GALLERY

DEITIES

  • Maha Vishnu

  • Ajit Ganesha

  • Shiv Parivar

  • Devi Akhilandeswari

  • Sri Hanuman

  • Ram Parivar

  • Radha Krishna

HTAV Front Entrance

Navagraha

A separate Navagrah temple is located in the northeast.

PANDIT JIS

Pandit Mrityunjay Mani Trivedi

Pandit Shri Mrityunjay Mani Trivedi joined HTAV in 2018.

He hails from Uttar Pradesh, India, and holds a Masters Degree in Theology (Dharmashastra) from Sampurnanand Sanskrit University, Varanasi (Kashi).

His early education was at Shri Rawatpura Sarkar Sanskrit Higher Secondary School, where he immersed himself in learning Sanskrit. Panditji has dedicated his entire youth to learning the Vedas, especially the Yajurveda, and he studied astrology, philosophy, and Karmakand.

He is knowledgeable in the Hindu scriptures, including the Upanishads. Panditji is well versed in performing all 16 sanskars and various Hindu rituals, such as yagnas, prana pratishta, weddings, grihapravesh, vastu, and griha shanti, etc. He teaches Sanskrit during weekly classes at the temple.

He has a love for music and leads an HTAV bhajan group. He also plays the tabla and harmonium, and he speaks Hindi, Sanskrit, and English fluently.

Pandit Koushik Bhattar          

Pandit Shri B.S. Koushik Bhattar joined HTAV in 2023.

A Karnataka native, Panditji is a “Swayam Aacharya" from a parampara orthodox family that has served as temple priests for many years.

For fifteen years he served as a priest in the Lord Fort Sri Venkataramana Smamy temple. He also spent three years in Jakarta, Indonesia, serving at the Shiva Mandir.

He skillfully passed the Pancharatra Agama Pravara and Praveena by the Karnataka State Government. He is also multilingual, with the ability to speak Kannada, Telegu, Tamil, English, and Bahasa Indonesia.

Panditji is versed in conducting all types of temple rituals, including Prana Pratistapana Vidi, Rathostavavidi, Vishnu Sahasranama Parayanam, Kalyanostsavam, Panchamruta abhishekam, Sri Satyanrayana Swamy Vratham, Gruhapravesha Vidi, Aushya Homam, and much more.

HTAV BOARD OF DIRECTORS & VOLUNTEERS

HTAV’s Board of Directors is made up of a core group of community leaders, committed to giving back to the Antelope Valley and continuing the legacy of HTAV’s late founding President, Dr. Anil Kumar. Dr. Kumar was a visionary cardiologist, who worked tirelessly and selflessly to establish HTAV as a community-driven, divine place of worship.

Following Dr. Kumar’s untimely passing in 2023, his son, Ishan Kumar, has taken on the mantle of HTAV President. Other HTAV board members include over a dozen professionals, primarily consisting of physicians, accountants, business owners, and individuals with significant non-profit expertise. Advisors to HTAV include the Mayor of Lancaster and a City Council member.

At the helm of HTAV’s entire operation is a host of local volunteers, who passionately contribute their talents, energy, and time to HTAV on a regular basis. The temple owes much of its vibrancy to the many volunteers constantly working behind the scenes.