NEW YORK - GANESH SHRINE 

'Jakhane Bengali, sakhane kalibari' this common place, yet potent Bengali proverb visualises the psyche of Bengalis and their spiritual evolution. It embodies a universal truth applicable to every Hindu, living in any one of the Indian states. It means, the Bengali community live's not without a small shrine for Mother Kali, their supreme deity. It holds good to any living in India or in far off continents. The place of worship as believed and propagated is a citadel of culture, rallying point of divergent sects, confluence of racial unification, nerve-centre of national integration and finally promoter of spiritualism, Finding the younger generations of the migrated Indians severing their Indian roots and getting drifted into the western fold some pious Hindus settled down in the affluent America decided to build a shrine in the heart of New York, one of the world's premier cities. And it was in the nineteen seventies, to be precise in 1970. Those theist humanitarians hailing from the south and mostly from Tamil Nadu, first formed into a group under the able and energetic leadership of Dr. C.V. Narasimhan, the Under-Secretary General of the United Nations and a few Americans. Their unbounded zeal for establishing Hindu Dharma in America took the shape of The Hindu Temple Society of North America. And it had lofty ideals of building temples for several deities at least at five places in America, first being Ganesh Temple at New York, since this Lord Ganesh is to be invoked before the commencement of any enterprise for successful completion be it, to be inaugurated even by the Highest among gods. It is testified by the scriptural injunction thus - 'Adou pujya Ganadipah'.

When the question of FINANCE and guidance surfaced their eyes turned to Balaji, the Lord of Seven Hills, the Wealthiest of gods whose inexhaustible reserve could buy continent after continent in a trice without touching the Corpus Fund, which the astronomical figures too keep mum unable to reach the last digit. Then came into existence a Trust Board under the chairmanship of Mr. E.C.G. Rigg, a distinguished theist - Social gist of America along with many philanthropists. First, the Board gave top priority to the selection of symbol and accepted Sri Satya Sai Baba's ensignia, mirroring the cosmopolitan character. And it won universal approbation.

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