Written by Gauri Saxena: April 11, 2005
Youth Culture at the Ganapati Temple
Hindu culture among first-generation South Asian diaspora youth is vibrant in New York City; nowhere is this more evident than in the Sri Maha Vallabha Ganapati temple in Flushing, Queens. The first Hindu temple in New York and one of the first in the country, the Ganapati Temple is not only a pioneer in bringing an integral component of Hinduism—the ability to worship and pray in a temple—to America; it is also a pioneer in incorporating first generation Hindu Americans into the culture.
The temple offers a number of programs and opportunities for young people, including classes in religion, academic subjects and exam prep, six different Indian languages, bhajans, the Vedas, and yoga. Classes are offered once a week, usually on weekends, so as not to interfere with school and other activities. According to Uma Mysorekar, the president of the Ganapati Temple, the motivation behind teaching classes is not purely to educate, but also to bring people into the temple community, as an interest in religion and other temple activities often stems from simply being in the environment.
Another important aspect of youth involvement is a highly active youth club, which typically meets a few times a month on Saturday evenings. The club was formed in 1996 in order to provide young people of the Hindu diaspora a chance to connect with other members of their community, educate themselves on a variety of issues, and share South Asian and Hindu culture with other members of the temple, as well as with the people of New York City. Members range from ages 6-23; there are six student coordinators and three-four adult consultants, who are also active members in the temple. Every month, they put on some type of event, whether it is a spelling bee or a tsunami benefit show. The latter provided an opportunity to bring other members of the New York community together, and for the first time in the temple’s history, a number of different ethnic groups came together and performed in the temple. Members of the group also perform together and represent the Hindu community at shows all over the city, including venues such as City Hall and various colleges. They hope to continue to play an active role in the community and also to enter into state- and national-level collaborations involving cultural programs and contests. Other events include picnics, contests, lectures, and presentations.
The Ganapati Temple also reaches out to young people who do not participate in its classes and clubs. The Hindu Student Organization from Columbia University makes trips to aartis and other functions, and young members of the New York community regularly attend performances and celebrations, as can be observed in almost any visit to the Ganapati Temple.
Young Hindus often have a difficult time finding ways to relate their religion to their lives; yet at the Ganapati Temple, the youth play active and integral roles in the community. The temple finds a number of different ways to incorporate Hinduism into the lifestyles and personas of these young people, be it through a club or through bhajan or Veda classes. The success of these various programs lies in their diversity; the temple caters to people with many different interests, be they social, intellectual, or musical. As Dr. Mysorekar has emphasized, even the non-religion classes incorporate Hinduism by exposing participants to the temple community. Through this variety of opportunities, the Ganapati temple offers young Hindu-Americans the chance to learn and appreciate their religion and find ways to build it into their complex South Asian-American identities.