Hindu temple in Chantilly seeks to expand with new community center

A Hindu temple in Chantilly is seeking the county’s permission to build a community center across the street from its main religious temple.

The team behind the Rajdhani Mandir has filed an application with the county to construct a community building on a 10-acre site across the road from the existing temple building at 4525 Pleasant Valley Road.

The 13,600-square-foot building will include a hall for 300 occupants, a kitchen, two guest suites, an outdoor terrace and a caretaker apartment. 

“Once constructed, the community center site will retain significant open space left in its natural state,” attorney William Lawson, Jr. wrote in the Aug. 14 application.

Intended to serve Hindu residents of Fairfax, Prince William, and western Loudoun counties, the center is expected to host weddings, funeral, celebrations and other gatherings, with only one to two events per month, according to preliminary application materials submitted to the county.

Most of the events will be on off-peak hours, with an estimated 100 daily trips generated on weekdays and 373 trips on Sundays, according to the application. 

The temple was founded on its current 8 acres of lane in March 2000. 

So far, the design is intended to minimize impacts to the neighboring area. The back of the building will remain largely undisturbed to act as a buffer from the adjacent properties, according to the application.

Most of the surrounding area is developed with residential neighborhoods and houses of worship, including a Catholic Church that is currently in the approval process.

Photo via Rajdghani Mandor/Facebook