SeattleChange
By 1984, the Hindu community in Colorado had grown to a sizable population and began the Hindu Society of Colorado. This group would meet at different member’s homes for spiritual discussions and deity worship. After this grew, for a brief period, a house in Aurora was rented, deities were installed, and the home was used as a temple. A need for a true temple was present, so another group, Hindu Temple and Cultural Center of the Rockies (HTCC), formed and merged with the Hindu Society of Colorado in 1995.
By 1996, the group successfully raised $100,000 to purchase an old church building in Littleton for the much needed temple in Colorado. Also during this year, the publication of the temple newsletter, Mandir Vani, began. In 1997, the search for a full time priest began, and by 1998 Acharya Kailash Upadhyay Ji was the new chief priest. Following the arrival of Upadhyay Ji, deities were installed and the temple began operating on a daily basis. This temple started successfully and within the same year, the neighboring lot was purchased. In 1999-2000 the Hindu Temple website was up and running and the number of devotees as well as the mailing list increased significantly (about 1800 people). With this growth, temple activities for both children and adults expanded in 2001 with Bal Mandir and Yoga classes.