I have always believed that temples should be places of peace, spirituality, and equality. Unfortunately, my experience at the Indian Culture Center and Temple in Tennessee has raised serious concerns about how this place is being managed. It's disheartening to see a religious space make a clear distinction between donors and non-donors. Discrimination based on donations has no place in a temple--or for that matter, in any institution that serves the public such as schools, hospitals, or places of worship. Spiritual sanctity should never be tied to money or sponsorships. No other temple I've visited in the U.S. has practiced such a divide. Temples should be open and welcoming to everyone, regardless of their financial contributions. It is truly disappointing to witness this kind of bias in a sacred space. I sincerely hope the management takes this feedback seriously and reflects on the core values of equality and compassion that Indian culture and spirituality stand for. Every devotee should be treated with the same respect--whether they donate or not. Temples are meant to unite people, not divide them. read more

So imagine being a stranger in a strange land. That's how I feel when I go to this temple in India, and I _am_ of Indian heritage!! I reckon this temple has a very South Indian Focus and I also found it very orthodox in that during one of the festivals, women could only go into the scared spaces if they were wearing Sari's (even salwar-kameez was not allowed!) and the men had to wear dhoti's and shawls (no pants, jeans, or shirts!). I don't reckon God cares what I wear when I go to the temple, and this sort of a restriction made me go to this temple very infrequently. On a more positive side, the grounds are really lovely and I've walked around the pond and the delightful fountain to check out the peacock enclosure. Yeah - nothing else really to say..... Yelp Review 202/2017 read more

This place is amazing! I've never been to any other temples so I can't compare, but it is just so well-built and beautiful that I don't want to go anywhere else! I think the only thing you need to know before coming is not to wear jeans. You also have to remove your shoes before going inside or approaching any of the statues of the gods. They have a feet washing station right inside the door of the temple but my friend says you don't have to wash your feet if you're wearing socks. I still went ahead and did it in order to have the full experience. I came for Ganesha's birthday celebration and I hope I can make it to some other events in the future! It ran a little late though, so I will be hesitant to return on a week day. They gave us a meal afterwards (though I don't know how often they do that) and it was so so so so so good. I couldn't believe it! Everyone was very welcoming. I can't wait to go to some other events! read more

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This is the oldest Hindu temple in the Memphis area. There have been recent renovations that have made it more decorative. Also, there are new stricter rules about dress code and behavior at the temple. One downside is that it is really far away from the city center and most of the Hindu population. read more

When I used to live in Cordova I used to come here. It was very big it was like being in India. The priests? were nice and you knew they were very devoted people. I liked the poojas or services. I always felt God 's presence here. I will always leave some donations. I was not asked to do it and I liked that. At the time I was going tru a difficult situation and in my heart I believe this place helped me think. I am a catholic and I loved this wonderful place. read more