Texas, Aug. 28 -- The Tamil community in the United States is set to get its first temple dedicated to Goddess Samayapuram Mariyamman in Texas, according to the temple committee.

The temple is being modelled after the famous Samayapuram Mariyamman temple in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu. The initiative has been taken by Tharagaram Baashyam and his wife, Saraswati, originally from Chennai and currently residing in Texas. The shrine is being constructed on a 10-acre site near Lake Tawakoni.

According to the committee, the new temple will replicate not just the architectural design but also the traditional rituals of the original temple in Tamil Nadu.

The idols for the temple are being sculpted in Mamallapuram near Chennai by artisan Thiru ...