Construction on the first two phases of the five-phase, multi-use Hindu American Religious Center located on 33 acres in Robbinsville, N.J., is currently under way. The center broke ground in September 2010, and upon its completion in 2016, it will total 262,000 sq ft.

The first two phases of the project include a main atrium building that will enclose a 9,000-sq-ft, 36-ft- high Hindu prayer building, known as a mandir. The mandir has been designed by PS&S, Warren, N.J.

PS&S is also the engineer on the project, in collaboration with local and India-based artisans. Hand-carved stone for the exterior and the two-level interior will be created in India and shipped to Robbinsville. Lighting Design Collaborative, based in Philadelphia and New York, is the lighting design consultant on the project.

Other phases of the project will include the construction of a cultural center, meeting rooms, classrooms, dormitories, dining areas, facilities for indoor sports and arts and crafts.

The fifth and final phase of the project will include the construction of the center's larger mandir at 42,000 sq ft and 108 ft high. It will be surrounded by approximately 100,000 sq ft of landscaped gardens, a water feature and almost a half-mile of covered walkways created by municipal and environmental engineers Maser Consulting P.A. of Hamilton, N.J.