Sri Venkateswara Temple, Sydney

Built on a 400-ft hilly area, Sri Venkateswara Temple (SVT) in Helensburgh, Sydney is one of the famous Hindu temples in the southern hemisphere. Dedicated to Lord Venkateswara or Balaji, this temple is situated amidst the grove which truly makes it a place worth visiting. The shrine’s construction began in 1978, when a small group decided to place it amidst a serene setting as per the Vedic principles. The presiding deity of this beautiful temple is of course Lord Venkateswara, however, deities of Goddess Lakshmi along with Lord Shiva (ShriChandramouliswarar) and Sri Tripurasundariare also worshipped here. Apart from regular pooja/worship, the devotees have the chance to get overall knowledge of various aspects of Hindu philosophy from major spiritual texts, chanting of slokas, poems, bhajans, Carnatic music, dances and other topics of interest with Vidyalaya program run by the temple. On the other hand, the shrine authority also carries on an age-old tradition of Lord’s Procession through the towns and villages to give His Darshan to the devotees under SVT Darshan program. There are also other programs run by the SVT authority like Annadhanam (free food distribution), Aradhana (promoting the local talent), Volunteers, and Youth Group.