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Local community members, both Indian and non-Indian, celebrated the Gujarati and Marwari New Year at an Open House hosted at the Shree Swaminarayan Temple in Secaucus, New Jersey, Oct. 24. The event aimed to give the community a peak into the temple’s cultural practices and its community outreach efforts, a temple press release said. The Secaucus temple is the North American headquarters of the worldwide Maninagar Shree Swaminarayan Gadi Sansthan.
The Open House was inaugurated by Secaucus Mayor Michael Gonnelli and the Town Council with a traditional candle lighting ceremony.
Mayor Michael Gonnelli also played some cricket with the Swamibapa Cricket Club. State Senator and North Bergen Mayor Nicholas J. Sacco, County Freeholder Candidate Anthony Vainieri, and other community leader representatives attended the event and addressed the congregation to wish them a Happy New Year.
After a welcome by temple volunteers, community members were guided through the temple with tours and presentations. The first presentation featured information on Hinduism, the Swaminarayan religion, the rise of the Swaminarayan Gadi Sansthan, and community activities. The second presentation shed light on how Indian New Year is celebrated throughout the world and the cultural practices and traditions of the celebration.
Community members also had the chance to experience Annakut, mountains of food, arranged here with an autumn / harvest theme, featuring over 350 vegetarian dishes. Participants then had the opportunity to join the arati.
An interactive fair held in Shree Muktajeevan Swamibapa Community Hall featured collaborative and cultural activities. Attendees were able to try on l Indian attire and jewelry, get complimentary henna/mehndi tattoos, design their own custom rangoli/sand art, sample vegetarian dishes and play various Indian instruments, the press release said. Members of Swamibapa Pipe Band, described as North America’s first Indian-American bagpipe band, featured American and Indian selections.
A Gujarati cultural program followed with kirtan and discourses, a celebration celebration with various musical instruments, and a tree presentation by environmental activist Girish Mehta.
The congregation then collectively watched the New Year blessings given Acharya Shree Purushottampriyadasji Swamishree Maharaj, the current head of the Shree Swaminarayan Gadi. “Use this New Year to become a new person,” he told the audience. “The year changes and will continue to change but as long as we don’t change, nothing will change.” The event ended with a traditional feast.
