- [Sakhi] A very unique story: this temple is run by Guyanese of Indian region.

- The migration of our forefathers from India to the Caribbean, West Indies, South America, 175 years ago when it started, the people who came as indentured, they brought the culture.

- My forefathers, they were brought to Guyana as indentured servants.

They didn't use the word "slaves."

But in essence, that's what it was, a replacement of slavery in the West Indies.

- Our foreparents went to Guyana in 1838 to work on the plantation, and they continued to practice their religion.

- [Satya] I was about six and a half years old when the Guru came to Guyana in the village where I was living.

The Guyanese kept up the tradition like it was centuries ago in India.

(gentle uplifting music) - [Ramsahai] I emigrated to United States in 1988 and many of us had a religious background, and so we wanted to continue to practice our culture and our religion.

- When I came here for the first time, their accent, their way of talking a little bit different.

And then that's when I found out, oh, these are originally Indians from Guyana.

Gives a feeling of the Indian diaspora at large in the Twin Cities area.

(gentle uplifting music) - [Satya] When we were shopping around for this place here in Eagan, my husband says, "This is it.

This is the property.

That will be the temple.

Devotees will come park right on the property."

And that's how we started.

This is a small space, - [Cepaul] Maybe 300-square-foot structure.

- [Satya] Sometimes we used to cram about 75 people in there.

- [Cepaul] But I tell you, you walked in, you feel that you're in the house of God.

It was welcoming.

People.

Folks.

I mean, just all gentle.

And you feel that magnetism too attract you, and to bring you, and want to come back.

- [Satya] We spent 12 years in this garage.

- [Cepaul] And then about seven or eight years ago we came across this facility, and then we bought it.

- [Satya] The building in Farmington was in a distressed state.

We had to make that livable.

Devotees from the previous church would come there and give us the little secrets about the building.

- [Cepaul] We told them, "Let your community know there is always a room with Bibles that they can come and worship."

Also, we told them that it will take years before we remove the sign of the cross from the temple, from the church.

The last thing you want to do is to move into a community and change things that people have been used to for 50+ years.

- [Tara] It's not an ordinary temple.

It's a blessed place to walk in.

You feel blessed.

- [Cepaul] The gentleness.

The aura.

The spirituality.

You feel welcome.

And of course with that, you welcome people.

- [Natasha] It feels different to me in the Puja room because you have to do Puja stuff.

- [Michelle] We get blessed.

- [Damien] We get blessings.

- [Natasha] We get to sing.

- [Michelle] We get blessed.

- [Damien] And there's instruments.

- [Natasha] And play the instruments.

- [Michelle] The instruments are fun.

- [Michelle] [Damien] Yeah, there's bells, drums.

- [Damien] There's these things where you tap on your hand and like make weird noises.

- [Sandra] It's a place like every other place.

It's for serenity, peace, and to feel blessed.

To feel a peace within yourself.

So you're able to transcend that peace to someone else.

- The very name, "Hindu Milan Mandir."

"Milan" means "to get together."

- [Cepaul] We get people from all parts of India, West Indies, Philippines, Nepal, all those cultures.

- [Tara] ] This temple is open to people from all walks of life.

- [Damien] It's great to see new people and, - [Michelle] And make friends.

- [Natasha] Yeah, I agree with them.

- [Ramsahai] The Mandir is a meeting place for people of different walks of life.

We all want to find God.

- [Prabhat] Hinduism is about pluralism.

So we are very assimilating in nature, so to speak.

- [Sakhi] In Hinduism there is no founder.

There is no single religious book, and there is no central authority.

So, it is a very diverse religion.

- In this temple, there's an emphasis on Guru.

And guruji Swami Pranavanadaji Maharaj, he really spread this Hinduism.

- I love the way that they worship the Guru, the teacher.

They have faith and confidence of that spiritual master.

- [Ramsahai] God exists in every living thing.

So, there's no discrimination.

The doors are open to any group of people.

- [Prabhat] The community in Minnesota, they are very receptive to foreign culture.

- [Cepaul] We are all the same people, children of God.

- [Satya] In Minnesota, we have created our own India.