The Hindu Temple of Florida sits in the middle of Carrollwood and attracts visitors from near and far.
“We just celebrated 25 years last May,” said Nainan Desai, Temple Trustee.
Although the Temple is tucked away on a side street, once you are near it, it is hard to miss.
“The Temple is probably not that well known. It is the pyramidal structure,” said Nainan.
The Temple offers tours and programs to visitors. Over the years, it has come a long way.
“Only 25 years back we did not have any temple In Florida in Tampa over here, and a group of devoted devotees got together and said 'let's build a temple.' Hinduism is the third largest religion in the world,” said Nainan.
The Hindu Temple of Florida was built in 1996, but it wasn’t anywhere near complete yet.
“After that, it took six years to what we call Indianization. Doing all these sculptures and carvings. It took, it was a long, long time period and nearly a dozen artisans, the sculptors came from India to create this thing,” Nainan.
The massive structure, full of intricate details, makes you forget you’re in Florida.
“It is the tallest in the country. Right from ground up,” said Nainan.
And it’s right here in Carrollwood.
