BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — For years, Indian residents in Bowling Green had to travel to Eastern Kentucky or across state lines to Nashville to worship at a temple. That’s all changed now. Last month, the Hindu temple opened its doors, and it hopes to become a fixture in the community. 

What You Need To Know

  • Bowling Green opened its first Hindu temple in May

  • Before it arrived, residents had to travel to Nashville

  • A number of businesses in Bowling Green are Indian owned

“When I was a kid, it was like once every month because that was the only understanding I had of my religion.”

That’s how often Ruthie Keseri’s mother, Anu, would take her on the hour-long trip from Bowling Green to a Hindu temple in Nashville, Tennessee.

Now, the Keseris have a place to go to worship, much closer to home.

“It’s a blessing so we don’t have to drive all the way to Nashville and we can visit the temple anytime we want. It’s very important. We can do prayers together. We can meet for festivities,” says Anu.

Bowling Green’s Hindu Temple began construction in 2019 and, despite a few delays because of COVID-19, officially opened its doors last month.

Longtime Bowling Green physician, Dr. Ram Pasupuleti, recalled the idea for the temple grew out of the need to serve a small, but impactful segment of the Warren County community.

“About 70% of motels, grocery stores, gas stations and liquor stores are owned by the Indian business community,” he noted.

As for Ruthie, it’s also about being able to better share her faith.

“It’s so abstract to be ‘Oh I’m Hindu and I pray,’ because people are always like ‘Who do you pray to? Where do you pray?’ So now I can bring them here and say, ‘This is what my religion looks like.’” she noted.

Adorned with murals, handcrafted marble stone idols from India and other symbols of the Hindu religion, the temple hopes to become a major part of the community.

“We want this to work as two things: One, as a center for worship and two, as a community center,” explains Dr. Pasupuleti.

“This is a great addition to the community so people from all religions can come. They really don’t have to have faith. It’s for everybody,” agrees Anu.

Ruthie is excited young people in Bowling Green will grow up with the temple in their own hometown.

“It’s very nice to see little kids at the inauguration. There were these 6-year-olds, and it’s so nice to see that they’re going to grow up with something I never had access to. It’s lovely.”

Even before the temple’s opening in late May, it offered shelter to 30 families during the December tornadoes. Dr. Pasupuleti says during the grand opening week of the temple, over 17,000 people came from all across the world, including London, India and Africa.