As the Hindu Society of Minnesota celebrates the formal completion of the Hindu Temple in Maple Grove over the weekend, it’s a time for our city to celebrate a little something I like to call diversity; more specifically, cultural and religious diversity.
Growing up in this suburb, that’s honestly something I thought I’d never say. In a way, I feel like Maple Grove is slowly straying from its identity as Ron Burgundy in the movie Anchor Man, who thought ‘diversity’ was an ‘old, old, wooden ship.’
As a Christian man who grew up going to a Lutheran Church in Maple Grove, I can still appreciate a facility like the Hindu Temple and what it brings to our community.
The three-day celebration (at 10530 Troy Lane N. in Maple Grove) is expected to attract more than 5,000 devoted Hindus from across the country, and the temple will serve over 30,000 Hindus in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, western Wisconsin and southern Manitoba, Canada. This makes Maple Grove a Hindu epicenter, of sorts, attracting a diverse population, including a vast Indian population (the majority of Hindus come from India) and fueling our local economy.    
The 43,000-square-foot temple is the largest Hindu Temple in Minnesota and one of the largest in the U.S. It takes up 20-acres of land, is highlighted by a 65-foot-high sculpted tower arching over the main entryway, and is the largest of its kind under a single roof. That’s something that everyone, regardless of religion, culture or nationality, can respect. 
In a time of the cultural and religious celebration of diversity in our community, here are a few places to get some great Indian food:
Kabob & Curry: An Indian cuisine restaurant; 8085 Wedgewood Ln. N., Maple Grove, 763-416-2224.
CurryUp! Foods: An Indian restaurant and grocery store; 13601 Grove Drive, Maple Grove, 763-416-2117.
Indian Foods Company: Indian online mail order food store and website www.indianfoodsco.com; 204 Central Ave., Osseo, 952-593-3000.