FLUSHING, N.Y. (RNS) — Temple bells echoed through the sanctuary as priests chanted Sanskrit prayers before black granite deities draped in silk and fresh flowers. Barefoot worshippers carrying coconuts, bananas and jasmine garlands moved from shrine to shrine as families from across the country gathered to mark the anniversary of the Hindu Temple Society of North America’s consecration, a tradition observed each year on the same date the U.S. celebrates its founding.
The date is fitting. The Hindu Temple Society of North America, officially called Šri Mahã Vallabha Ganapati Devasthãnamri, is the second-oldest traditional Hindu temple founded by Indian immigrants in the United States. It opened its doors on July 4, 1977, after years of fundraising and planning by Indian immigrants who had settled in the New York metropolitan area. Sri Venkateswara Temple in Pennsylvania, the first traditional Hindu temple founded by Indian immigrants, was consecrated only a few weeks earlier on June 8, 1977.
After passage of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 abolished the national-origins quota system, there was a surge in immigration from Asia, including India. Many who arrived entered the U.S. through employment-based visas, particularly in management, business and science fields. The new Indian immigrants wanted a place of worship and created the Hindu Temple Society of North America, which purchased the site of a former Russian Orthodox church in Flushing, Queens.
Now, nearly 50 years later, the Hindu Temple Society of North America counts more than 20,000 devotees on its mailing list, and there are an estimated 1,000 Hindu temples, including traditional temples like this Queens temple, spread out over 45 states. Šri Mahã Vallabha Ganapati Devasthãnam, nonetheless, still draws worshippers from across the United States. Last …
