ELMIRA, N.Y. (WENY)- Renovations are underway for the largest Narasimha Hindu Temple in America coming to the Southern Tier. It will be the first of its kind outside of India.

The organization is called Bkahti Marga which means the path of devotion. Swami Tulsidas is the priest for the temple. He studied as a monk in Germany and then came to the U.S. to start a monastery.

He then found a two-story building that was formerly the Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in West Elmira at 100 West Church Street.

Swami says when people come to the temple they can expect more traditional Hindu temple worship, including worshipping enlivened statues.

"We are definitely not here to convert anybody. It's fundamental to the Hindu faith to be open-minded. Hinduism is extremely eclectic and there are many different denominations that even philosophically speaking disagree with one another but fundamentally there's an understanding that no one can truly understand God, no one could truly understand the divine so we should go to the place or the tradition or the religion that you resonate with," Swami said.

There will also be lots of singing, meditation, and spiritual talks about the purpose of life and how to grow in love for others, mother nature, and the divine.  After leaving his service he just wants people to feel happy.

"We are here to share what moves us and if others like it awesome, if it's not their thing awesome, we really aren't here to say that we are right or that we know best or anything like that," Swami said.

Swami added they are not sure what the official name will be for the temple yet, but for now are naming it Narasimha after the main deity of the temple  The temple will open its doors in 2023 sometime between May and September. 

Swami explained you don't have to be of the Hindu faith to attend service, everyone is welcome.