A granite monument and flag plaza at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Chino Hills, dedicated for the 250th anniversary of the United States.
On Saturday, July 4, 2026, the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Chino Hills will dedicate its new Independence Plaza, a permanent flag installation on the temple campus. It anchors the mandir's two day "Desi Roots, American Dreams" celebration, the community's tribute to the country's 250th anniversary and its theme of honoring the past, celebrating the present, and dreaming of a new future.
VJ Memorials was awarded the contract to design, create, and install the centerpiece of the plaza: a Red Multicolor granite monument, approximately three feet high, engraved with the American flag and the words "Independence Plaza Dedicated 2026." It stands at the center of three flag poles flying the American, California state, and military POW-MIA flags.
It's a small, low cost monument, proof that a modest stone can still anchor a public space.
"Desi Roots, American Dreams" is a free, two day cultural and civic festival hosted by BAPS Los Angeles on July 3 and 4, 2026, and a registered event of the federal America 250 Commission. It brings together families, youth, and civic leaders to mark the country's 250th anniversary, and to honor the gratitude of the Indian diaspora and the fusion of cultures that shapes modern America.
The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir sits off the 71 freeway in Chino Hills. Inaugurated in 2012, the traditional stone carved Hindu mandir is open to all and is a center of Southern California's Hindu community: a place of worship, culture, and selfless service, and a monument to ancient Indian art and architecture. For more on the celebration, read the temple's America 250 page.
If you're honoring a department, a school, a faith community, or a national milestone, we'll help you design and build a monument that lasts. Stop by our Chino factory or reach out and we'll talk through what's possible.
