A new chapter in the history of Hinduism was written last month in Homer Glen, with the opening of Temple Universal.

The three-floor, 30,000-square-foot temple is the fruition of Swami Vivekananda's vision nearly 115 years ago. Considered a key figure in the dissemination of Hinduism and yoga in America, Vivekananda sought to establish a place in the Chicagoland-area, where people of all religious denominations could come to learn meditation, yoga and the Vedanta philosophy from the ancient order of the swamis.

Swamis perform a chant during the opening ceremony for the new 30,000-square-foot Temple Universal in Homer Glen. The temple offers free yoga and meditation classes to everyone regardless of religious denomination.

An opening ceremony attended by more than 500 people, including monks dressed in their traditional ochre robes and Hindu priests clad in white garbs, was held on Sunday, Sept. 21, at the temple, 14630 S. Lemont Road.

"The ceremony was a visual spectacle to behold as [the swamis] performed traditional rituals both picturesque and inspiring," said Frank Parlato, a Vivekananda Vedanta Society spokesman and one of the leading authorities on the life and teachings of Swami Vivekananda. "If there is an ideal location for the swamis to come together I really believe it is here in Homer Glen. This is an area filled with high-minded people and the setting is very peaceful and rural. I'm very glad Homer Glen is now on the map of Hinduism."

Temple Universal resident Swami Varadananda said the Vivekananda Vedanta Society searched more than a dozen locations before finding the 15-acre site Homer Glen.

The swamis perform a ritual called the homa in which items are offered into a consecrated fire.

"This is really the perfect fit for us," Varadananda said. "It's fitting to have the temple located in greater Chicago because Chicago was the birthplace of Hinduism and yoga outside of India."

The temple is open seven days a week with yoga and meditation classes taught at 11 a.m. on Sundays and at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays. Individuals unable to attend those classes can sign up for personal lessons by calling the temple at (708) 301-6588. There is no fee to attend any of the classes, Parlato said.

"This is an opportunity to learn the real yoga as it was taught a thousand years ago by the oldest monastic order who devised the disciplines of yoga and meditation," Parlato said. "The difference between the yoga taught at a gym to the yoga at the temple is like the difference between a firefly and the sun. The men teaching these classes are genuine philosophers who have seen the eternal fruit. I think all who come out for the classes will find it well worth their time."

The Hindu ritual Arati is offered each day at 5:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., Parlato said. All are welcome to attend.

The temple — a blend of prairie-style and classic Hindu architecture — also boasts a library and bookstore. The library is stocked with books on Hinduism and other religions, Parlato said.

"The temple is open for everyone and all are urged to come and see the realization of Swami Vivekananda's dream at long last in America," Parlato said. "A new day in the history of Hinduism has emerged."

Swami Vivekananda is best known for his speech in which he introduced Hindu philosophy to the Western world at the Parliament of the World's Religions in Chicago in 1893. A temple named after Vivekananda is located in Kanyakumari, India. Vivekananda died on July 4, 1902 while meditating in Calcutta, India.

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