Welcome! We invite you to visit student essays presented to the course "Hinduism Here," a seminar conducted in the coordinate Religion Departments at Barnard College and Columbia University in spring, 2003, and spring 2005. They concern seven organizations where Hinduism—and in one case, Sikhism—is "lived" in the greater New York area. (See Research Sites below.) These organizations, communities, and programs were chosen with an eye to diversity, but we are aware that they only begin to represent the many aspects of Hindu life in and around New York. We hope to expand our work regularly in future years.

These essays are of two types: brief portraits and full seminar papers.  Please remember that all are student papers, invariably the product of hard work but done in a relatively short time and with various levels of background. We wish to express our gratitude to the organizations we visited and studied - for hospitality, guidance, criticism, and much patience.

About the Course
About the Website

Course Conferences

The Pluralism Project

Challenges to the Course

America Sevashrama Sangha
is a Guyanese Hindu ashram-temple in Jamaica, Queens which is especially notable for its focus on programs for and by its youth.

Ammachi Satsang of the Upper West Side

Worshippers of the guru Ammachi, commonly recognized as “the Hugging Saint,” attend weekly satsangs during which they recite devotional mantras in her honor.

Arsha Vidya Gurukulam
is a retreat center for adults and children in Saylorsburg, PA that features a broad range of courses (Sanskrit, Vedanta, yoga, Ayurveda, music) under the general leadership of Swami Dayananda Saraswati.

Arya Spiritual Center, Jamaica, Queens

The Arya Spiritual Center in Jamaica, Queens, is one of New York’s foremost Indian-Caribbean Arja Samaj centers.

Be Yoga, Manhattan

Be Yoga, with its several locations in the New York area, is headed by Alan Finger, one of the most successful entrepreneurs of the yoga industry in America.

Divya Dham
is a strikingly beautiful temple built in a warehouse in Woodside, Queens.

Durga Temple, South Brunswick, NJ

The Durga Mandir is a haven for goddess worship and Hindu female empowerment in New Jersey.

Geeta Temple, Elmhurst, Queens

A life history of Swami Jagdishwarananda as it led to the founding and development of the Geeta Temple.

Infinity Foundation
of Princeton, NJ was founded by Rajiv Malhotra as a charitable organization dedicated to acts of wisdom and compassion. Mr. Malhotra and the Foundation have in recent years become major players in the politics of "representing Hinduism" in higher education in the United States.

Jivamukti Yoga Center
is one of New York's best known yoga centers.

Maha Vallabha Ganapati Devasthanam, Queens

The Sri Maha Vallabha Ganapati Devasthanam, located in Flushing, Queens, is probably New York’s best known Hindu temple.

Phagwah Parade, Jamaica, Queens

The Phagwah Parade is an annual parade in Richmond Hill, Queens sponsored by Indo-Caribbean Hindus to celebrate the holiday Phagwah (also know as Holi).

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center, Manhattan

The Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center, one of New York City’s oldest yoga establishments, is  located in a residential section of Chelsea.

Sri Guru Ravidas Sabha
is a Sikh gurdwara in Woodside, Queens that keeps alive the legacy of the 16th-century saint Ravidas, who is revered by both Hindus and Sikhs.

Vaisnav Temple of New York
is located in Holliswood, Queens and is a regional expression of the theologically influential Vallabha (or Pushtimargiya) Sampradaya of north and northwest India.

Vedanta Society, Manhattan

The Vedanta Society of New York is America’s oldest Hindu organization.