Indian Consul General Randhir Jaiswal calls it an acknowledgement of the work of the Indian-American community
A street outside a prominent temple in Flushing, Queens County in New York has been co-named Ganesh Temple Street in honor of the elephant-headed Hindu god of beginnings.
The New York City Council had approved co-naming of Bowne Street named after leading American pioneer of religious freedom and anti-slavery movement, John Bowne, last December.
“Bowne Street in #Flushing is now also Ganesh Temple Street! What a day to celebrate,” Queens Borough President Donovan Richards tweeted after a special ceremony to unveil the new street sign on Saturday.
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“Congratulations to Dr. Uma Mysorekar and everyone at the Hindu Temple Society of North America for all they do to spiritually support our families and uplift the collective soul of #Queens,” he wrote. Richards also shared a video on Twitter of the unveiling of the street sign as the crowd cheered on.
The event was attended by the Consul General of India in New York Randhir Jaiswal, Dilip Chauhan, Deputy Commissioner for Trade, Investment and Innovation in the office of New York City Mayor Eric Adams, and members of the Indian-American community.
Later, at an event held at the Indian Consulate to celebrate Baisakhi, Jaiswal told the gathering that the co-naming was not just a celebration, but an acknowledgement of the milestones reached through decades of hard work.
“It speaks so well of the Indian-American community, for all that you have done not just for yourself but bringing joy and happiness to people’s lives around you,” he said.
Read: New York street named Ganesh Temple Street after N America’s oldest Hindu temple (April 4, 2022)
Inaugurated on July 4, 1977, the temple was constructed using granite. It is entered through a gopuram gateway. It is said to be the first Hindu Temple in North America.
Other than the main temple, there is also a community centre complex which houses an auditorium, wedding halls, conference rooms and a vegetarian canteen.