Looking for a Surya temple in the USA for the NRI Hindu diaspora? Here is the honest framing: there are essentially no standalone Sun (Surya) temples in the United States. In Vedic tradition, Surya is worshipped as the central deity of the Navagraha (nine planetary deities) shrine — and almost every Agamic (South-Indian-style) Hindu temple has one. So "where to offer Surya prayers in the USA" practically means: "which Hindu temples have a Navagraha shrine where Surya can be invoked".

This guide lists the temples we could verify directly from their own websites as having Navagraha shrines, plus three larger flagship temples whose websites did not surface shrine details in our verification — for those, call the temple directly before planning a Surya visit. We also flag one common confusion: BAPS / Swaminarayan sampradaya temples and ISKCON temples generally do NOT have Navagraha shrines, so even famous BAPS mandirs in the USA are not the right place for Surya/Navagraha darshan.

Verified Navagraha-Shrine Temples in the USA

1. Sri Siva Vishnu Temple (SSVT), Lanham, Maryland — Washington DC area

SSVT explicitly lists a Navagraha shrine on its own website ("nine idols, called Navagraha, represents the nine principal heavenly bodies"). One of the largest Hindu temples in the United States. Address: 6905 Cipriano Road, Lanham, MD 20706. Phone: (301) 552-3335. Prasadam counter: Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri 9 AM-1 PM & 5-9 PM; weekends 9 AM-9 PM; Wed closed. Always verify current temple hours on ssvt.org before visiting — temple-event days, festivals, and weather can shift the schedule.

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2. Sri Maha Vallabha Ganapati Devasthanam ("NY Ganesha Temple"), Flushing, Queens, NY

Navagraha is one of the shrines around the Maha Mantapam at America's oldest traditional Hindu temple (consecrated 1977). Address: 45-57 Bowne Street, Flushing, NY 11355. Hours: weekdays 8:00 AM-8:30 PM, weekends 7:30 AM-8:30 PM. URL: nyganeshtemple.org. The Navagraha here is a secondary shrine in a primarily Ganesha-focused temple — so darshan is straightforward, but Navagraha-specific archana may need advance booking on a Saturday (the traditional Navagraha day). Phone the temple to confirm.

3. Sarvamangala Shri Saneeswara Temple (Shri Navagraha Devasthanam of N. America), North New Hyde Park, NY

The only USA temple where Navagraha IS the primary devotion. Founded as the first Saneeswara (Shani) temple outside India, with a stated long-term plan to consecrate nine separate graha temples. The Surya worship is offered as part of the Navagraha rotation — primary murti is Saneeshwara, but all nine grahas including Surya are present. Navagraha Homam is a regular offering. Address: 1616 Hillside Avenue, New Hyde Park, NY 11040. Daily poojas start around 8:30 AM. URL: saneeshwara.org (the old navagrahausa.com URL now 301-redirects here — update your bookmarks).

Three Major Temples Where Navagraha Is Probably Present — Call to Confirm

These three flagship USA Hindu temples follow Agamic traditions where a Navagraha shrine is standard, but their own websites did not clearly surface a shrine list during our verification. We list them here so you can plan a visit, but please call ahead to confirm a Navagraha shrine before driving across state.

  • Shiva Vishnu Temple, Livermore CA (Bay Area): 1232 Arrowhead Avenue, Livermore, CA 94551. livermoretemple.org. Major Dravidian-style temple; Navagraha shrine very likely.
  • Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago, Lemont IL: 10915 Lemont Road, Lemont IL 60439. Hours 9 AM-9 PM daily (last archana 8:30 PM). htgc.org (do NOT use the old ramatemple.org domain — it now redirects to an unrelated site).
  • Sri Venkateswara Temple, Penn Hills, Pittsburgh PA: 1230 S McCully Drive, Penn Hills PA 15235. Historic Tirupati-style Vaishnava temple. svtemple.org.

What About BAPS, Swaminarayan, ISKCON Temples?

These are major Hindu denominations with magnificent USA temples (BAPS Robbinsville NJ, Swaminarayan mandirs in Houston / Chicago / Atlanta / Los Angeles, ISKCON temples nationwide), but their sampradayic ritual tradition does NOT include a Navagraha shrine. If your goal is Surya/Navagraha worship specifically, these are not the right temples. They are wonderful for darshan of their own central deities — but for Surya please go to an Agamic Dravidian-style temple from the list above.

How to Offer Surya Worship at a Navagraha Shrine

  1. Visit on a Sunday (Surya's day) for primary Surya worship, OR any Saturday (the traditional Navagraha day) for general Navagraha archana.
  2. Wear red or saffron clothes. Carry a single red flower (lotus or rose) for Surya specifically.
  3. Circumambulate (pradakshina) the Navagraha shrine 9 times — once for each graha. Surya is at the center; other grahas in their fixed positions around him.
  4. Recite the Aditya Hridayam Stotram (the most powerful Surya stotra, from the Ramayana — recited by sage Agastya to Lord Rama before he killed Ravana). Many temples sell the booklet at the counter.
  5. Book a Surya Namaskaram archana at the counter — most temples offer this as a standard seva.
  6. Offer a deepa (oil lamp) at the Navagraha shrine before leaving.

Surya Worship at Home When No Temple Is Nearby

If you live far from any of the above temples, perform Surya worship at home — sincere sankalpa carries full merit:

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  • At sunrise: face east, offer Surya Arghya (water poured from a copper vessel to the rising sun) chanting "Om Suryaya Namah" or the Gayatri Mantra.
  • Aditya Hridayam: recite once daily, especially on Sundays. Available as a copy block in our Surya stotras post and on most temple websites.
  • Surya Namaskaram (yoga): 12 rounds facing east at sunrise — combines physical worship with the 12 sacred names of Surya.
  • Sunday vrat: one-meal day; wear red; avoid salt or non-vegetarian food; Aditya Hridayam recitation.

See also our companion guide: Lord Shiva Temples in USA: Complete City-Wise Guide 2025 (HinduTone) — many of the same Agamic temples that host Navagraha shrines also have major Shiva worship.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a dedicated Surya temple in the USA?

No standalone Surya temple has been verified in our research. Surya worship in the USA happens at the Navagraha shrines of major Agamic temples — the closest to a Surya-primary temple is the Sarvamangala Shri Saneeswara Temple in North New Hyde Park NY, where Navagraha is the central devotion (though Shani, not Surya, is the primary murti).

Which day is best for Surya worship at the temple?

Sunday (Ravivar) is Surya's day — best for Surya-specific worship. Saturday is the general Navagraha day. Either day is meritorious.

Can I do a Navagraha homam in the USA?

Yes — SSVT Lanham, Sarvamangala Saneeswara New Hyde Park, NY Ganesha Temple, and most major Agamic temples offer Navagraha Homam as a paid seva. Book 2-4 weeks in advance, particularly for festival-period dates.

Do BAPS or Swaminarayan temples have Navagraha?

Generally no — the Swaminarayan sampradaya's ritual tradition does not include a Navagraha shrine. The same applies to ISKCON temples. Don't plan a Surya/Navagraha visit to these temples — instead, go to a Dravidian-style Agamic temple from the list above.

My local temple has no Navagraha shrine. What do I do?

Perform daily Surya Arghya at sunrise at home — face east, offer water from a copper vessel chanting "Om Suryaya Namah." Recite Aditya Hridayam on Sundays. The shastric merit is equivalent — Surya accepts your bhava regardless of geography.

Is the Saneeswara temple really the only Navagraha-primary temple in the USA?

Per our 2026 verification — yes. It positions itself explicitly as the "Shri Navagraha Devasthanam of North America" and was founded as the first Saneeswara temple outside India. While Shani is the primary murti, the entire temple is dedicated to graha worship including Surya.

🌞 Om Suryaya Namah. May the Aditya Hridayam grace flow into your home, wherever you live in this country. 🌞