CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, January 19, 2001: Fueled by a growing and increasingly affluent Indian population, construction at Chicago area Hindu temples is booming, with two established temples expanding and new structures in the works. The Hindu temple in Lemont is building a $4.5 million community center, in Aurora workers have renovated the towers atop the Balaji Temple, and Bartlett recently finished a 100,000 square-foot Indian community center, the first phase of a plan to build one of the largest Hindu facilities in the country. The structures, elaborate and expensive, are the most visible sign of the Indian-Americans’ growing influence in the Chicago area. According to recent census figures, the number of Indians living in the area has increased from 58,000 in 1990 to 150,000. All of the projects are funded by contributions from area Hindus, a combination of established families and newcomers often lured to the area by high-paying jobs in information technology. A fundraiser has been scheduled for construction of another Hindu temple in DuPage county and as many as six other groups are looking for funding.
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