Shri Venkateswara (Balaji) Temple

Shri Venkateswara (Balaji) Temple
Shri Venkateswara (Balaji) Temple, 2007
Religion
Affiliation	Hinduism
Deity	Venkateswara
Location
Location	Tividale, Birmingham, West Midlands
Country	United Kingdom
Architecture
Established	2006
Website
www.venkateswara.org.uk

The Shri Venkateswara (Balaji) Temple is a Hindu temple located on a 30-acre site in Tividale, a suburb of Birmingham in the United Kingdom. It is dedicated in the Vaishnava tradition to Venkateswara, a form of the Hindu god Vishnu. The temple was inspired by the Tirupati Venkateswara Temple in Andhra Pradesh, India. It was opened in 2000 and consecrated in 2006.

History

In the 1970s, Vaishnavite Telugu migrants living in the Birmingham area originally gathered to worship Venkateswara at the Gujarati-run temple Shree Geeta Bhawan Mandir in the Handsworth neighbourhood of Birmingham. ^[1]

The site for the construction of the temple was donated by the Black Country Development Corporation in 1987. ^[2] Construction began in 1997 following years of fundraising, ^[1] with a reported £6.5 million provided by donations from worshippers and a Millennium Commission grant. ^[2] The temple opened in 2000 and was consecrated in 2006. ^[1]

Temple design and deities

The temple was designed as a replica of the Tirupati Tirumala temple in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India. According to the temple's trustees, at the time of its opening it covered the largest land area of any temple in Europe. ^[3] The main deity venerated at the temple is Venkateswara. ^{[4] [1]} The outdoor stairway leading to the main gopuram has two smaller temples dedicated to other gods at its sides, one to Vinayaka (Ganesha) and the other to Murugan (Kartikeya). Other gods enshrined at the temple include the Navagraha and Shiva ^[1] as well as Hanuman and Lakshmi. ^[4]

The temple grounds also contain an educational centre, the Gandhi Peace Centre. The Centre contains materials for learning yoga and meditation, a library, and a permanent exhibition on the life and philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi. ^{[4] [5] [6]}

Operations

The temple commemorates the cultural festivals of the major South Indian cultural groups (the Telugu, Tamil, Malayali, and Kannada peoples) as well as more broadly Indian festivals such as Deepavali (Diwali). ^{[4] [1]} It employs both Vaishnavite and Shaivite priests and commemorates deities and celebrations from both traditions. ^[1] It is a non-profit organisation and is a recognized charity in the UK. ^[7]

References

1. Jones, Demelza (2016). "Being Tamil, being Hindu: Tamil migrants' negotiations of the absence of Tamil Hindu spaces in the West Midlands and South West of England" (PDF). Religion. 46 (1): 53–74. doi:10.1080/0048721X.2015.1027968. S2CID   54225557. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 April 2019. Retrieved 11 July 2019.
2. "Tirupati-style temple opened near Birmingham". Hindustan Times. 7 April 2006. Retrieved 21 November 2025.
3. "A New Home for Sri Balaji". Hinduism Today. Vol. 29, no. 1. January–March 2007. p. 7 – via The Wikipedia Library.
4. "Shri Venkateswara (Balaji) Temple | Birmingham Faith Visits". birmingham-faith-visits.theartssociety.org. Retrieved 21 November 2025.
5. "Grand opening of Gandhi Peace Centre at Venkateshwara Balaji Temple. :: Consulate General of India Birmingham". cgibirmingham.gov.in. Retrieved 21 November 2025.
6. "Crowds congregate for historic UK opening of Gandhi Peace Centre". www.wmca.org.uk. Retrieved 21 November 2025.
7. "SHRI VENKATESWARA (BALAJI) TEMPLE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM - Charity 326712". prd-ds-register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk. Retrieved 21 November 2025.

52°30′48″N2°01′48″W / 52.5133°N 2.0299°W / 52.5133; -2.0299