Udupi, Jun 11: In what may be termed as a pleasant surprise for thousands of Hindus in United States of America, especially devotees of Sri Krshina, an old and neglected Church in New Jersey has been converted into a modern Hindu temple.
It was Sri Sugunendra Teertha Swami, the chief pontiff of Udupi’s Puttige Mutt, who purchased the derelict Church sometime back with the sole intention of transforming it into a temple as his followers could not find a suitable vacant place to construct a new Krishna temple in New Jersey.
Located in a sprawling 4.5 acres on a highway in New Jersey, the church-turned-temple is all set to be the prime religious centre of Hindus in the region. It has a seating arrangement for 1,000 devotees. Besides, there is a large parking area, where around 600 cars can be parked at a time.
Instead of demolishing the old church structure, the architects have cleverly modified the building and made it look like a modern temple as per the advice of the seer. The idols of Jesus Christ have already been removed from the premises and an expensive idol of Sri Krishna is expected to be installed shortly in a grand ceremony.
Meanwhile, Indian-origin Hindus in New Jersey have already started contributing gold and silver to the temple. One Roopa Iyer has donated a 2kg silver armour for Sri Krishna’s idol, while Janardhan Rao, another Indian American, has dedicated golden eyes and other ornaments for the same idol.
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