Monday, May 2, 2016

The Temple in the (Suburban) Woods

The Temple in the (Suburban) Woods - Arbee Cole


I've always been a fan of churches. Here, in the American Midwest, we have more churches within the city limits than can be easily counted: Catholic churches, Episcopal churches, Baptist churches, converted churches, mega churches, cathedrals, etc, etc, etc... Even our highways seem to act as advertisements for these locations, as a beautiful traditionally-styled mosque and a massive statue of Jesus (on the site of the legendary statue of "Touchdown Jesus") are just a few such structures that can be seen off different parts of interstates such as I-75.

What impresses me about these places? I'm not talking about being captivated by the Sunday services held in them (though a good preacher is always worth a listen); no, I'm talking about the structures themselves and the stories they hold within. Why it was built, how it was built,  when it was built - all of these factors go along with the artifacts held inside to create a unique experience for those visiting each structure.

So when I heard rumors that there was a massive Hindu temple hidden in the woods just outside of Cincinnati, I had to go. I mean, I grew up in the area, and I'd never heard anything about it - and that's the kind of thing that would stick out in a young adventurer's mind (like myself). Supposedly, it was nestled in the woods of an area known as Eastgate - home to numerous fast food places and that icon of the 20th Century, The Mall.

My trip started familiar enough, with me going down roads I had traveled hundreds of times. But as I started to navigate the less-familiar streets of deeper suburbs, I saw this:


Yes, in the middle of the suburbs and on a regular street sign in the heart of middle America, there was a sign with foreign (Hindi?) letters pointing to a temple. I followed it...




I followed it down a street to a seeming dead-end in the middle of the woods. Yet there were gates...




And, as I followed the road further into the woods, a structure appeared:


And, eventually, I was at the Temple in the Woods.



I brought along a companion for this trek - my cousin, a far greater adventurer than I, but one that had also grown up in the suburbs of Cincinnati. We parked, followed the signs which (at the time) instructed us to a basement entrance, where we took off our shoes and went further into the temple.

What occurred inside is a story for another time - or, better yet, one you can experience on your own if you choose to visit. All I will say is that the priest was very kind, and both willing to talk to us about the location and walk us through how the worship there works. We even received a piece of blessed fruit, and went on our way better for the journey, now knowing a little bit more about our neighbors in this expanded 21st Century community.

For those interested, you can visit this location at 720 Barg Salt Run Road, Cincinnati, OH (original entrance) or use the new (not pictured) entrance at 4920 Klatte Road, Cincinnati, OH. Their webpage is http://cincinnatitemple.com/ (which sometimes goes down), and their facebook is https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hindu-Temple-of-Greater-Cincinnati/189739154372829 .


-- Arbee Cole

P.S.: Interesting side note. The original pictures I took for this story were lost, so on a slightly drab Sunday in the beginning of spring, I went down to take a few more. To get there, I had to travel roads I'd been familiar with since childhood. On one, a somewhat steep one-way road with two lanes, I began to slowly pass a truck pulling a tank of what was marked flammable materials. As we rounded a corner, I saw a minivan driving the wrong way heading straight for me. I slammed on my brakes, but couldn't dodge due to the truck next to me. The minivan ended up swerving off the road. He ended up being fine and, with the exception of some muscle stiffness due to the sudden breaking, I was okay, too. It did make for a memorable morning, however.




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