Sanskrit prayers and dosas: Inside one of the oldest Hindu temples in the US

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 Devasthãnam ri , 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…