Hindu Temple of Tristates in White Plains (New York), which has been approved by the City Council, plans to begin construction in summer, reports suggest.
It has been reportedly conducting monthly prayers, festivals and community events in Royal Palace; an award-winning Indian restaurant which claims to blend “fragrant, pungent, and warm spices from all over India”; which included Hanuman Chalisa, Mata Chowki, Maha Shivratri, etc.
According to reports, construction of this about 15,000-square-foot two-storey temple on the 1.75 acre plot will cost up to $2 million. Besides a sanctuary for worship, it also plans to include cultural and community center, day-care center, senior citizens program, library, conference facility and classrooms; and besides White Plains, it will also serve Hindus living from adjoining areas of Connecticut, New Jersey and New York states. There are about 5,000 Hindu families in Westchester County in which White Plains is located.
Meanwhile, distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, applauded efforts of temple-project leaders and White Plains and surrounding area community to realize this Hindu temple complex.
Rajan Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, further said that it was important to pass on Hindu spirituality, concepts and traditions to coming generations amidst so many distractions in the consumerist society and hoped that this temple would focus in this direction. Zed stressed that instead of running after materialism; we should focus on inner search and realization of Self and work towards achieving moksh (liberation), which was the goal of Hinduism.
Temple trustees, per its website, include Jethinder Abbi, Arun Bhagirath, Om Dhiman, Bharti Gupta, Anil Joshi, Suresh Khanna, Jagdish Mitter, S. Murthy, Narendra Paul, Harry Singh and Jyotin Thaker.
Nicknamed “The Birthplace of the State of New York”, affluent White Plains came into being in 1683. Thomas M. Roach is the Mayor of White Plains, about 25 miles north of Manhattan, which claims “Suburban Amenities with an Urban Vibe”. Prominent people associated with it include Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Unification Church founder Sun Myung Moon, boxer Boyd Melson and actors Dan Duryea and James Whitmore.
Hinduism is the oldest and third largest religion of the world with about one billion adherents. There are about three million Hindus in USA.