On Tuesday, July 22, 2003, members of the Hindu Temple and Cultural Center of SC gathered outside for a bhumi puja to honor the earth before an extensive construction project (including a new "multipurpose building" and living quarters for the priests) began at the temple. A bhumi puja is a kind of "ritual groundbreaking" ceremony in which devotees express appreciation for the earth upon which they are about to build and request blessings on the construction project.