Sri Venkateswara Temple
శ్రీ వేంకటేశ్వర ఆలయం
Venkateswara temple · Penn Hills (Pittsburgh), Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States
Sri Venkateswara Temple (SVT) in Penn Hills, on the eastern edge of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Venkateswara, the form of Vishnu worshipped at Tirumala in Andhra Pradesh. It stands on South McCully Drive and was built in the mid-1970s with funds, plans, craftsmen and priests provided through Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) and the Endowments Department of Andhra Pradesh.
Consecrated in November 1976, it is often described as one of the first traditional Hindu temples in the United States. The Associated Press has called it the oldest major Hindu temple in the country. Today it draws pilgrims from across North America, and its head priest has called it the 'America Tirupati'.
Faith & Tradition
Religious Significance of Sri Venkateswara Temple
The temple came out of the wave of Indian immigration that followed the US Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, when many Indian academics, doctors and engineers settled in Pittsburgh. According to the temple's own history, TTD was approached in 1972 about building a temple in the United States, which it describes as the first such request in TTD's history.
Society of Architectural Historians' SAH Archipedia calls it the first Hindu temple in the United States built by workers from India and modelled on the Venkateswara temple of South India. Devotees regard darshan here as a way to honour Venkateswara without travelling to Tirumala, and the temple is a centre for life-cycle ceremonies, homams and festivals for Hindu families from many states and from Canada.
Heritage
History of Sri Venkateswara Temple
The temple's history, written by founding member Nagabhushanam G. Nunna, traces it to 1972. That January, a small place of worship with a Ganesha image was started in the basement of the 'House of India' store on Forward Avenue in Squirrel Hill. In August and September 1972, A. Alagappan of the Hindu Temple Society of New York asked TTD to support Hindu institutions in the US, and the Hindu Temple Society of Pittsburgh was formed in March 1973.
In August 1973 plans for the Venkateswara, Lakshmi (Tayar) and Andal shrines were drawn up by Sthapati Ganapathi of the engineering cell of the Andhra Pradesh Endowments Department. TTD sanctioned Rs 4 lakh for the Pittsburgh temple in November 1974. A first groundbreaking took place on 12 April 1975 at the Hindu Temple Society's Monroeville site. The Sri Venkateswara Temple organisation was then incorporated as a separate body on 7 August 1975, and TTD transferred its support to it. The Monroeville society later became the Hindu Jain Temple.
Ground was broken at the present Penn Hills site on 30 June 1976 in the presence of TTD chairman C. Anna Rao. The temple was consecrated on 17 November 1976. AP reports that TTD contributed funds and sent craftsmen and priests.
The temple holds a Maha Kumbhabhishekam about every twelve years to renew its sanctity. In June 2021 the five-day rite drew more than 20 priests and several hundred devotees. The temple began marking its 50th anniversary in 2025–26.
Architecture and sacred features
The temple is in the South Indian style and is much smaller than its Tirumala prototype. SAH Archipedia describes a white-stuccoed brick building dominated by a central stepped tower over massive teak doors. Inside, a skylit hall rests on pillars carved with foliate designs, and shrines line the colonnade around the central sanctum of Venkateswara.
The temple's history says the Venkateswara, Lakshmi and Andal shrines follow a design by the Andhra Pradesh Endowments Department's sthapati that differs from the Tirumala temple, while SAH Archipedia credits architect Shashi D. Patel. A 2005 remodelling, reported by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and cited by Wikipedia, was meant to bring it closer in appearance to Tirupati.
Plan Your Visit
Darshan and Visitor Information
The temple is open every day of the year, and darshan, archanas, homams and other services can be booked through its website. Confirm current opening hours, dress expectations and service bookings with Sri Venkateswara Temple, Pittsburgh (srivaru@svtemple.org) before visiting. HinduTone has not reproduced timings or fees.
As at other Hindu temples, visitors are expected to remove footwear and dress modestly.
Timings and arrangements change with seasons and festivals. Confirm current details with Sri Venkateswara Temple (SVT), Pittsburgh – board of trustees and corporate members (official website) before travelling. Last reviewed 5 October 2026.
Sacred Calendar
Festivals at Sri Venkateswara Temple
Maha Kumbhabhishekam
The temple's periodic rededication. In 2021 more than 20 priests from across North America performed the five-day rite to renew the temple's sanctity.
Annual summer homam festival
A multi-day homam celebration. In 2025 its theme was the Ashtakshari Homam, led by 18 priests, and more than 5,000 devotees from the US and Canada attended, according to South Asian Herald.
Golden jubilee
The temple's 50th-anniversary year, marking its consecration on 17 November 1976.
Location
How to Reach Sri Venkateswara Temple
The temple is at 1230 South McCully Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15235, in the municipality of Penn Hills, Allegheny County. The nearest airport is Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT), west of the city. Amtrak serves Pittsburgh's Union Station downtown.
Most visitors arrive by car. For public transport, check Pittsburgh Regional Transit's current bus routes to Penn Hills before travelling.
Location: Penn Hills (Pittsburgh), Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States 15235
Nearest airport: Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT)
Nearest railway station: Pittsburgh Union Station (Amtrak)
More in Hindu temples in Pennsylvania · Venkateswara temples
Questions
Sri Venkateswara Temple: Frequently Asked Questions
When was Sri Venkateswara Temple Pittsburgh built?
Ground was broken at the Penn Hills site on 30 June 1976, and the temple was consecrated on 17 November 1976. Some sources give 1977 as the completion date.
Is it the oldest Hindu temple in the United States?
The Associated Press calls it the oldest major Hindu temple in the US, and SAH Archipedia calls it the first built by workers from India. Claims about which US temple was 'first' depend on the definition used.
What role did Tirupati play?
Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams sanctioned funds in 1974. The Andhra Pradesh Endowments Department drew up the plans, and AP reports that TTD also sent craftsmen and priests.
Where exactly is the temple?
It is at 1230 South McCully Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15235, in Penn Hills, east of downtown Pittsburgh.
How did the temple begin?
In 1972 a small shrine with a Ganesha image was set up in the basement of the 'House of India' store in Squirrel Hill. The Sri Venkateswara Temple organisation was incorporated on 7 August 1975.
How often is the temple reconsecrated?
It holds a Maha Kumbhabhishekam about every 12 years. The most recent was a five-day ceremony in June 2021.
How can I contact the temple?
The temple lists the email srivaru@svtemple.org and the phone number (412) 373-3380 on its website. Services can also be booked online.
Sources and attribution
- Sri Venkateswara Temple, Pittsburgh — Sv Temple Pittsburgh History (history of the SVT organisation, by N. G. Nunna)
- Sri Venkateswara Temple, Pittsburgh — Contact Us
- Associated Press — At landmark US Hindu temple, a timely rite of rejuvenation (AP, June 2021)
- Society of Architectural Historians / University of Virginia Press — Sri Venkateswara Temple, Penn Hills (SAH Archipedia, Buildings of Pennsylvania)
- Asian & Pacific Islander Americans in Historic Preservation (APIAHiP) — Day 275: Sri Venkateswara Temple, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- South Asian Herald — Sri Venkateswara Temple Pittsburgh annual celebration (2025)
- Wikipedia — Sri Venkateswara Temple, Pittsburgh (pointer only)
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