The Pluralism Project at Harvard University

Activities and Schedule

The mandir is open daily from 8:00 A.M. to 11:00 A.M. and from 5:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M. Aarthi is held daily from 9:30 A.M. until 7:30 P.M and hourly on festivals.

History

This temple is the first of two founded by Vinayak Ravel; the second, more recent temple is the Hindu Mandir in Kearny.

Description

The mandir (temple) used to be a Jewish Synagogue; stained glass windows, with symbols and figures from the Hebrew Bible, are still part of the worship space. The worship space is on the top floor, and the ground level is used for activities/eating. Ghanshyam Bhatt, the priest, and his family, are from Gujarat, live on the ground level. He is a Sanatan Deva Priest who learned the profession from his father. He previously served at a village Sanatan Deva temple in Hyjerabad, Gujarat. He was hired by Vanayak Ravel through reference by friends. He has been at Garfield for three years. The priest of the Hindu Mandir in Kearny is this priest’s cousin-brother.