The Sri Venkateswara Temple is a Hindu temple located in Bridgewater, New Jersey, U.S. In 1998, the traditional stone temple was inaugurated. The temple is 11,000 square feet. It is a serene and spiritually uplifting place. The temple's architecture is beautiful and meticulously designed in traditional style. The deities are adorned with care, and the ambiance promotes peace and devotion. Temple has 16 Sannidhis for deities Venkateswara (Balaji) Sridevi, Bhudevi, Garuda, Ganesha, Ambika, Nandi, Siva Lingam, Ayyappa, Subrahmanya, Satyanarayana, Durga, Saraswati, Lakshmi Narayan, Radha Krishna, Rama, Anjaneya, and Navagraha. Temple timings 8:30 am to 12:30 pm, 4:30 pm to 8:30 pm. Dress code: Preferably Indian traditional attire. Sleeveless, shorts are not permitted. Cafeteria operates from 5.30 pm to 8.30 pm on week days, 9.30 am to 5.30 pm over the Weekend. Cafeteria schedule may vary during other Holidays. The temple is well-maintained, and the staff is welcoming and helpful. It's a wonderful space for prayer, cultural events, and community gatherings. The venkateshwara deity in the temple was as beautiful as the one in Tirupati. The temple also has several other deities that are all presented so beautifully. Blessed to have visited this temple. The priests at the temple are friendly, knowledgeable, and provide detailed guidance during rituals and poojas. They are respectful of individual preferences and ensure that each devotee feels welcomed. Their dedication to the services, from small personal prayers to larger ceremonies, truly adds to the spiritual essence of the temple. In terms of facilities, the temple has a canteen that serves traditional South Indian food, which is simple yet flavorful, giving a true taste of home. The meals are well-prepared and reasonably priced, adding a comforting touch to your visit. The cleanliness and organization of the dining area are commendable. One of the most appreciated features is the ample car parking space, which makes it very convenient for visitors, especially during busy festival times. The parking is well-organized, and there's enough room even on weekends and during major events. The temple shop is cute and has lots of culturally significant stuff. The temple also offers other services like cultural programs, and spiritual counseling, making it a community hub beyond just a place of worship. Overall, Sri Venkateshwara Temple provides a complete experience--spiritually uplifting, culturally enriching, and well-equipped for all its visitors. Definitely worth visiting for anyone looking for a divine experience in a welcoming environment. read more

Sri Venkateswatera Temple - Hindu Temples Near Me - Bridgewater, New Jersey

​My family and I recently relocated to the East Coast from California, where we were accustomed to the peaceful and welcoming environment of the Malibu Temple. We visited the Bridgewater Temple hoping to create a similar, meaningful devotional memory with family friends who were visiting from out of state. Unfortunately, our visit turned into a deeply distressing and dark experience that stood in stark contrast to everything we have come to expect from Hindu temples in the USA. ​Following the alankaram service, we remained quietly in a corner of the main temple area while waiting for a family member to return from the parking lot. We were mindful of our children, ensuring they remained quiet and respectful of the sanctity of the space. We were speaking softly among ourselves, making a conscious effort not to disturb others. ​Despite our quiet demeanor, a volunteer approached us in an aggressive manner, forcefully placing a "silence" placard into the hands of one of the women in our group. He then proceeded to humiliate her publicly, refusing to listen to our apologies or accept that we were already being respectful. To our shock, a senior priest emerged and, rather than de-escalating the situation, chose to encourage this volunteer's aggressive behavior. ​We immediately removed ourselves from the premises, but we left feeling deeply hurt. As followers of Sanatan Dharma, we have always been taught that temples are places of peace, inclusivity, and dignity. There is no justification for the public humiliation of a woman or such a blatant display of disrespect. This entire situation could have been handled with basic human decency and a polite request, which we would have happily honored. ​We are incredibly saddened that our search for a place of worship on the East Coast began with such an unkind experience. We hope the leadership of this temple takes a moment to reflect on how their volunteers and staff treat devotees. True devotion should be reflected in how we treat one another. read more

Beautiful South Indian style temple. 1) The inside is very beautiful and with many deities inside. 2) I like their temple canteen. Lots of vegetarian food options that is very affordable. read more

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Temple is great but the volunteers are very rude. There is a kid volunteer at the main Sannidhanam who always keeps pushing people for no reason. In any temple the devotees are self-regulatory, and this kid thinks he is in a school controlling elementary school children. We tried to complain the temple management, and it seems they take it lightly and do not respect devotees. A very bad experience. Others also would have noticed this, and I would like them to share their experiences. read more

One of the most beautiful Hindu temples you will come across in the US. This is a huge temple that is adorned by a tall Lord Venkateshwara/Balaji statute as the main deity. This temple also has other deities like Ganesha, Shiva, Mahalakshmi, Satyanarayana, Muruga, Iyyapan, Ram pariwar, Anjaneya, Krishna and Navagraha. All the deities are so beautifully decorated and look divine, that you don't want to take your eyes off them. The temple is well maintained both outside and the inside and is constantly serviced by volunteers, who help with providing directions and disciplining noisy crowds. The priests are nice to interact with and does poojas extensively on special occasions and also car poojas for new cars. The temple has a gift shop and a cafeteria at the ground level and a humongous parking on the front, rear and side of the temple. read more

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We are here in NJ for so long , and I can't believe I didn't review bridgewater temple :). One of our fav temples and one of the best in the whole of US. Very very awesome Ambience and highly spiritual. They have expanded the building so much now . Amazing place of worship. We also love the new auditorium, marriage hall and other amenities in this temple . Superb . The cafeteria is good .. there is also a small gift shop which is useful. Overall an amazing temple ... Jai Balaji .. read more

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An extremely gorgeous temple located in Bridgewater, NJ. I've been visiting this temple ever since I was small and witnessed the renovations over the years. However, the devotion and religious rituals remains evergreen. Tranquility and harmony is easily attained by sitting inside the temple for a few minutes. In the basement, there is an excellent cafeteria that serves a variety of delicious South India cuisine. I ordered a masala dosa. It is made to order so it's fresh, crispy, buttery and the sambhar & chutneys exemplify the flavors. The temple campus is pretty and it's located near the Bridgewater Mall. Highly recommend visiting. read more

Sri Venkateswatera Temple - Outdoors - Hindu Temples Near Me - Bridgewater, New Jersey

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I have been going to Venkateswara temple in Bridgewater for the last 10 years. And I have been harassed by the so-called volunteers and temple members on several occasions in the name of rules. I have ignored most of these as my purpose is to not to fight or complain but instead navigate these situations and move forward with the purpose of the visit. however there is a limit to everything. I am writing with lots of frustration. As today a volunteer(an old grumpy man) came to my daughter and told her that she cannot wear trousers to the temple and she needs to wear a salwar .There is no such dress code that mentions that trousers are not allowed inside the temple. Dress code in the temple is no shorts or cut offs for women. And my daughter was dressed up with a full length trouser, full hand t-shirt with a full hand pull over. I have seen this old man harassing other devotees interpreting their prayers. It is not fair to impose non-existent rules on the fly on children who are there to learn our culture and imbibe our rituals. This situation has created anxiety for my kid and she is upset and does not wish to come to temple ever again. I am sure I didn't donate to the temple nor did I sponsor a pooja so that one day someone part of the temple would start harassing my kids and I am sure the founding sponsor didn't mean to make the next generation hate this temple. I am planning to go to the temple again, As this is the closest temple we have and there is nothing wrong with priests or the temple, it's just a few people who are making this temple look bad to the next generation. There is no complaint system in the temple. If you are harassed at this temple, call 911 and report. And that is what I am planning to do the next time when someone harasses me in the temple premise, Temple management if you are reading this, We are coming to the temple to offer our prayers and not to get harassed. And we are offering our donations to make it a place that our next generation can come and be part of the culture. And we are living in a free country and you cannot restrict women's freedom in the name of religion or enforce rules on the fly. Please make this old man stand at the entrance next to security and send any one who is not following his dress code back please and make him stop harassing devotees during their prayers. If you do not want to enforce a dress code(unfair dress code) at the entrance, stop harassing people once they are in the temple. read more

My neighbor is an emergency doctor, Hindu and of southern Indian descent. We have discussed the Hindu religion and he has often encouraged me to visit the Sri Venkateswara Temple. He offered me a tour which he would personally coduct, so I finally took him up on his offer. It is one of the largest Hindu Temples in the United States built in the traditional Chola style of temple architectue.. Outwardly it reflects contemporary southern Hindu Temple construction which is quite stunning. The tall golden devotional pole (Dhwajasthambham) lies in front of the temple entrance. Devotees touch the pole and/or circle it before entrance. The bottom entrance has an area where you can wash your hands and feet before entering the temple. You must remove your footwear before entering. The bottom floor also has restrooms and a cafeteria serving traditional Hindu cuisine. Pongal (rice patty), vada (savory fried snacks), and other dishes are all offered at very reasonable prices. The temple idols which are manifestations of the god (Vishnu) are set in their individual areas within the temple. There are about twelve individual deities represented each bestowing their own virtues. The idol of Lord Venkateswara, destroyer of sins, is faithfully represented, as are other gods and goddesses such as Shiva and Durga. This is a house of pray and religious assemblage so silence and respect should be shown. There is a dress code which involves no shorts or cut offs for women. Photography is only permitted outside the building and in the cafeteria. It's a wonderful experience and an opportunity to learn about another religion while practicing tolerance and respect for other's beliefs. All are welcome to enter the temple. They are welcoming people and encourage all toward peace, tolerance and a better understanding of their religion. On their website you will find a map of the temple which is numbered. Each number has a brief explanation of the deity that is set at that number. You can print out the map and descriptions and follow a self-tour. There is no charge to enter the temple. read more

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Visited the temple today and was highly disappointed. The person/lady sitting at the front desk was extremely disrespectful. I have never ever encountered someone like this at the door of a temple - she started yelling at my kid, made him so scared that he started crying. So, this is what happened, Me and my husband both were wearing mask (please note: CDC no longer mandates it) but we still did. At the entrance we realized our kid wasn't. The lady at the front desk in a VERY rude/loud voice points us that you can't get in without a mask. Without arguing and being respectful of temple premise my husband left to pick a mask for our kid. While waiting, I simply asked my kid to step aside and stand beside me - and the lady yelled again - NO, You can't! I even clarified, we aren't going in (just stepping at the side) and there is no need to yell at the kid. Instead of apologizing she made a scene and started lying, accusing us of tress-passing and threatened to call the police! I even tried telling her that i hope you understand this is temple. But now when I think of it, I don't think the persons behavior was normal, she definitely has issues and needs medical help. She shouldn't be sitting at the door of a temple. So, here my request the the temple management: Please have someone more humble, normal and welcoming sit at the door of a temple (very sorry to say but may be the person is not from India and clearly doesn't understand the meaning of temple). She is sitting right at the entrance and oozing so much of negative energy. I even feel it's a safety issue. Respectfully. read more

Best Spiritual Place in New Jersey. The construction resembles South Indian temple and you would get a divine vibe once you enter the location. It's so beautiful to view the temple structure during sun set. read more

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Beautiful temple. Very clean and had a great consecration of energy. The idols were so beautiful and decorated so well. We did not visit the dinning area, but the crowds we saw suggested the food ought to be good. read more

Open to the public, the Sri Venkateswatera Temple is a stunning piece of architecture. You're welcome to enter the temple (sans shoes). And/or head to the canteen for some delicious and fresh South Indian food. The cafeteria or canteen is located around the back, near the parking lot. The entrance is easy to find because from the outside, the cafeteria entrance looks like an elementary school cafeteria, just pretend that you're outside for recess heading back in. Once inside, you'll see dozens of people happily eating post-prayer an array of options. The weekends are the best in the canteen, as it's open for lunch and dinner, and there are more options on the menu. On weekdays it is only open for dinner. The rules: You enter the canteen, then head towards the door on the left in the back, beside the steam tables, to find the cashier. You buy your items, receive a receipt, and hand it to the workers on the steam table to receive your items. Everything my friends and I sampled were pretty top-notch. The chutneys were slightly lacking but, the dosas are made fresh to order and were very tasty. The samosas were perhaps the best here, fresh and flaky, pretty incredible filling, the cut mirchi was perfectly done, lightly fried, and the free sambar is very good. Prices are extremely cheap, and all profits support the temple. read more

This Venkateswatera Sri Temple is Worth seeing. They are open to Public. If you cant visit the India to see a Temple this is the next best thing. They Also have a Restaurant Serving south Indian Food (Veg Only) This is a very peaceful Place. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Some Do and Don't No Alcohol and NO non veg food Allowed on the grounds. NO Photos allowed inside temple It's so beautiful If You haven't been Inside an Indian temple It is very Authentic. No shoes inside Temple upstairs Shoes are allowed on the Bottom part of the temple. You can take Photos Outside and in the restaurant. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If You have Further Question I Suggest You can Stop By the Front Desk or call. read more

Sri Venkateswatera Temple - Front of Temple - Hindu Temples Near Me - Bridgewater, New Jersey

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This is probably the best temple in the close proximity of NYC metro area. It's been built on a huge area, have ample parking space. The Lord balaji is centrally positioned in the main building and all other gods have their own individual small temple surrounded by the balaji. You can feel the freshness in the air and the pristine atmosphere which soothes the mind and provides complete relaxation. They perform various services like car pooja, new born child pooja, wedding ceremony etc in the temple itself. The best part is the cafeteria where you can find incredibly cheap food. I am North Indian and a big fan of their bada and sambhar. You can try samosas, veg biryani, idli, veg pakoda etc. Try to visit, you will not regret. read more

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Very nice indian Hindu temple, loved this beautiful place and enough place to park. Food on cafeteria is good, especially fresh Andhra food which is available here. read more

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Very peaceful place.. Nice atmosphere around temple areas.. Clean and hygiene cafeteria.. Food is awesome and food prices are very low .. read more

Sri Venkateswatera Temple - Hindu Temples Near Me - Bridgewater, New Jersey

This review is based on food.. First of all their Prasadam Ladoo is good but I did had in Chicago and Atlanta which was amazing.. food has Dosa, vada, unlimited sambhar and coconut chutney and has filter coffee. Prices are amazing and food is good also.. overall for South Indian food craving can be satisfied fully here.. will be back!!! read more

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Great Temple around this place. But the temple management should take strict action on people's dress code. This is a place to worship and not to show off your dressing style and skin. Management team should stop people in entering the temple premises if the attire is not decent, nothing will happen if you loose revenue due to these idiotic people. read more

Bridgewater, NJ This is a reminder review to come here. The closest to get to India's beautiful intricate monumental architectures is right here. All I want to know is do they have monks who read futures & people's fortunes here? Anyone who removes the Mangal Dosha curse here? Thanks, You can reach me via yelp. I don't want to make a trip to Mumbai yet. And my other monks in India are so far. I need me an top notch American monk from India. read more

My husband is Hindu and I am Christian and he brought me here to be with him while he prays. They have beautiful encouraging words that we all can use in our lives regardless of your faith. read more

Wow. What a beautiful and stunning temple. Temple is beautifully architectural and handcrafted. Inside is more beautiful and each God and goddess has their on little temple instead of putting their pictures. Each time I go there, all gods are beautifully dress and decorated. Whole temple and area around Temple is super clean. Evening is the best time to visit temple. I love spending time inside the temple and relaxing. Get positive vibes. Get some times to walk around the temple. Sometimes, if you are lucky, then you will get to see nice sunset view with different color in the sky. It's simply pretty. At last, if you are tourist to NJ, you must visit this temple. They have cafeteria which serve delicious South Indian food. read more

Good temple....Enjoyed the visit on a beautiful Sunday morning ... Must go place.... read more

Sri Venkateswatera Temple - Temple from backside parking lot - Hindu Temples Near Me - Bridgewater, New Jersey

Excellent place of worship. Magnificent architecture. Clean, very well maintained. Cafeteria has good freshly made Indian food.

Very Nice and serene place.... Worth seeing... Main entrance is towards the right side from where you enter... They close early on weekends Temple timings: MON-FRI-8:30-11:30PM SAT - 4:30am-11:30PM SUN - 8:30AM - 8:30PM After having darshan try spending some time outside the temple complex. We had been there in the evening time and it's so lovely and beautiful. I would suggest going there early in the morning or late in the evening. read more

Very Good South indian food in the cafeteria. Cafeteria Closed on Tuesday and Wednesday Tried Upma, Dosa, Idli and Wada Sambar, Filter Coffee. Very economical and nice. read more

I'm originally from rural Virginia where it's very difficult to get Indian food, and even if you can find it, it's really expensive. The food in the cafeteria/canteen is incredibly cheap for what you get. It tastes delicious to me, and I'm really grateful my friends told me about it. Parking is also great, which I appreciate since I am a terrible driver. read more

Oh what a feeling. There is joy in this place. And the gods await you. While there do eat at their canteen. Fresh n good food. I miss going there as I don't drive these days but soon.... read more

One of the best place to be in. Temple is well maintained, spacious, very traditional, friendly atmosphere, ample parking, last but not least sumptuous cafeteria . read more

Beautiful temple with deities from all regions of India. The priests are primarily South Indian. They have a cafeteria downstairs which sells delicious south Indian dishes for very low prices. The cafeteria seating arrangement is quite good, but because of it's popularity it gets very crowded on the weekends. A gift shop is around the corner with good selection of books and pictures of Gods. read more

wow........ it a good temple with an indian tradition. I love to come this place very frequently.

Amazing temple. Seems like newly constructed... And as all other balaji temples in USA cafeteria is great