Written by: Henna Choudhary

Early one recent Sunday morning, members of the Arya Samaj USA Mandir gathered for a three-hour service that included intricate rituals, prayers, singing with musical accompaniment, speeches teaching Hinduism’s morals, and a delicious lunch served in the basement amidst friendly chatter.

The attendees — wearing brightly colored traditional garbs decorated with sequins and beads – sat cross-legged and barefooted on the carpeted floor, attentively observing the prayers being performed before them and joining in by chanting verses as the holy sacrifice’s fire billowed above their heads.

The Arya Samaj USA Mandir, located in South Richmond Hill, is one of many places of worship in this Queens neighborhood where locals flock to celebrate their religion and keep their cultural traditions alive.

Over the years, Richmond Hill has evolved into a constantly bustling, lively neighborhood which boasts delectable cultural cuisine, shops overflowing with unique ethnic costumes, and multitudes of centers aimed towards community growth and development. The wide breadth of diversity which exists within the community is evident in the abundance of religious institutions, spiritual centers, and recreational facilities dotting the neighborhood’s walkways which represent a multitude of fates including Islam, Christianity, Catholicism, Hinduism, and Buddhism.

Although the locals of these various backgrounds intermingle on a daily basis within the neighborhood, they remain rooted to their unique traditions and cultural upbringing by taking part in festivities, prayers, and events at their local places of worship within their established network of friends, family, and acquaintances who share the same beliefs and traditions.

“I have lived in Richmond Hill for thirty years, and I have friends here from all different country origins. But in my temple, we relate well based on our similar Guyanese background since we have all migrated from Guyana,” said Balram Rambrich, executive board president of the USA Arya Samaj Mandir. He claims, “I immensely enjoy the events/functions within my temple because I get to interact with people that share the same values and concerns as my own. We see eye-to-eye on many things besides religion, such as political views, occupational choices, and the manner in which we raise our children.”

The mandir holds a wide array of cultural classes which includes yoga classes on Tuesday evenings, traditional singing sessions, Sunday afternoon Hindi language classes, and Friday night musical lessons during which an appointed instructor will aid youths in learning how to play traditional instruments such as the sitar, harmonium, and tabla.

Apart from this pro-active approach to encouraging the new generation to remain rooted to their religion, the mandir also upkeeps a vast library of ancient scriptures and religion-based works of literature which is open to the public.

Ms. Neha Gupta, another member of the mandir who also serves as a high school teacher from a local school program known as SAYA! (South Asian Youth Action) states, “I teach a leadership program for ninth graders at Richmond Hill High School, and although the program is run by South Asians, we encourage students of all ethnicities to partake in our activities and classes.”

Furthermore, she notes that “although people within the community are more drawn towards their own religion’s place of worship or partake in holidays and parades centered on their own culture, there is a general sense of acceptance and brotherhood across all the races of Richmond Hill.”

However, Hinduism is not the only widely practiced religion within the neighborhood. The Sikh Cultural Society regularly showers the streets of Richmond Hill with doses of vibrant culture through lively parades and street fairs which extend outside of the oak-wood front doors of the sacred institution.

The men proudly don traditional turban head wraps and the women walk about decked out in brightly colored, glittering shalwar kameez suits waving flags emblazoned with the symbol of Sikhism. As the Sikh community calls out chants in their native language and sing along to religious songs in accordance with the beat of a drum, the strong sense of pride and love for their religion and race is undeniable.

Avneet Kaur, a 20-year-old Sikh woman who migrated to Richmond Hill from Punjab about a decade ago, said she immediately felt comfortable in the neighborhood due to the large number of other Sikh immigrants surrounding her.

“I attend religious events at the Sikh center on special occasions. I enjoy getting to dress up in cultural outfits and getting together with family and friends, enjoying our rituals and delicious Punjabi cuisine,” Kaur said. “I spend most of my time in the city, rather than my neighborhood but just knowing that there is a great population of Punjabis in Richmond Hill gives me a strong sense of love for my community.”

The Sikh Cultural Society is nestled alongside Southeast Asian grocery stores, boutiques, and restaurants within the heart of Central Richmond Hill in a majority Sikh settlement. The two-story structure houses an expansive prayer room, communal eating chambers, and recreational areas in which the devotees amiably interact with one another.

As the older generation leads the youths in reciting holy prayers, and the Sikhs bend their heads to the ground in reverence, live music is played by a collection of skilled instrument players lining the walls of the room. The wide breadth of individuals which walk the halls of the temple seemed to hail from all different walks of life but are united with one sole purpose: to pay their devotions to their beloved gurus and sages.

Shan Singh, a middle-aged father of three who is an actively participating member at the temple states, “I have three teenage children, and it is not easy in this day and age to teach them about our religion and traditions when they are so immersed in American culture. So, when we attend the service at the temple weekly, it allows us to grow together as a family and meet and befriend other Sikhs in the community to form life-long friendships.”

Richmond Hill happens to be overflowing with rich traditions as well as immigrant families who have managed to retain their ethnic and religious identity while living in one of the most swiftly developing cities in today’s modern age. The environment and resources available within the community allow for residents to soak up as much cultural awareness and knowledge of their own ethnic ancestry along with that of foreign religions and cultures which they may have never even heard of.

Living within a city as vast and multi-dimensional as our own, it is sometimes difficult to establish close bonds with one’s neighbors and community, but the shared sense of culture and religion prevalent within Richmond Hill has successfully united perfect strangers to form a community which is more like a family than a collection of individuals who happen to share the same geographic space.