Staten Island Hinduism

Most of the time at the temple I talked to Dr. Nair.  A lot of the rituals and practices have remained the same.  They perform fire sacrifices.  The perform the same mantras as in the past.  The only things that seem different here in New York and America are the festivals and the old rituals that involve sex.  I talked to Dr. Nair about the festival of Holi.  As we know, in India this whole festival is almost like a riot.  She talked about how that isn’t possible here, but even if it was, it wouldn’t happen.  The Hindu communities here don’t perform that festival the same way it is performed in India.  Also, as with sexual practices we know that in India centuries ago there were many practices that involved sexual intercourse.  Some of them were said to be required to reach the ultimate reality.  Dr. Nair said those rituals do not go on here in America like that.  They may still go on India today, but she said they aren’t nearly what they used to be in the past.  As for everything else, she said Hinduism has remained almost the same over these many years and there have been slight changes over time, but that is to be expected.

I didn’t get to go to an actual event, but I talked to Dr. Nair about an event that is being held on May 29th.  The name of the event is the Sri Maha Mrutyunjaya Homam.   Mrutyunjaya means the one who conquered death and it is also another form of Shiva.  Homa is also known as Yagna the firs sacrifice.  The event is performed for good health for all the devotees.  Homa is performed while chanting the Maha Mrutyunjaya Mantra 108 times.  It goes like this:

Om Tryamyambakam Yajaamahe Sugandhim Pushti Vardhanam Urvarukamiva Bandhanan Mrutyormuksheeya mamrutaat – Translation – We worship Lord Shiva who has three eyes (Sun, Moon and Fire), who is sacred and who noursihes and grows all beings. We pray to Him to liberate us from death for the sake of Moksha (Immortality), just like a ripe cucumber is automatically released from its attachment to the creeper.  Let us all pray together to Lord Mrutyunjaya to free us from illness, from all diseases, to bless us with prosperity, long life, good health and to enhance our Spiritual knowledge.

It starts at 8 am and ends at 1:30 pm.  In the beginning, all the lamps located in  frint of the deities are lit.  Every event starts with the deity Ganapathy.  If every event is started with him, then every event will go well.  There is then the chanting, sprinkling of holy water, bathing and offering of food (milk, yuogurt, coconut, water, etc.).

I talked to her about events like these in India.  She said they do go on, but there can be some variances in the way the events take place.

The Staten Island Hindu Temple is located at 1318 Victory Blvd, Staten Island, NY 10301.  The building was complete by 2006.  The deities that have been completed in the temple so far are Sri Ram Parivar, Sri Ganapathi, Sri Siva, Sri Durga/Parvathi, Sri Karthikeya, Sri Hanuman, Sri Radhakrishna, Sri Lakshmi, Sri Venkateswara, Sri Saraswathi, Sri Ayyappa and Sri Mahavira.  Also there made of white marble is Ram Parivar which had been donated.

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