Established as a non-profit religious and cultural organization in
1980, the Hindu Community Center is said to be the first Hindu mandir
to have come into existence in New Jersey. The initial property
located on 1 Gaston Avenue, in Garfield, New Jersey was purchased to
house a Sanatana Mandir for the Indian community. Following a year of
renovations, the murtis (idols) of Shri Ambaji, Shri Krishna,
Hanumanji, Ganeshji, and the Shiva Lingam were installed in
Garfield.
As parents and elder members of the community
participated in bhajan (devotional singing) and listened to discourses
called kathas, it became rapidly evident that a forum for the children
was also a necessity. With a vision of developing a facility where
children could develop an understanding of Indian culture and
heritage, the sanstha established a Vidyakendra. Initially the
Vidyakendra was a sort of one-room school located in the mandir
itself.
In 1993 the Hindu Community Center expanded the
Vidyakendra by establishing a new location for it in Kearny. It is
called it Vaikunth Dham (celestial home of the Lord Vishnu). The
community purchased a building large enough to allow space for eight
classrooms, a banquet hall, a kitchen, and a hall dedicated to a
display of murtis. These include Shri Ambaji, Ganeshji, a Shiva
Lingam, Laxmi-Narayan, Vedmata Gayatri, and Hanumanji.
Welcome to Hindu Community Center - Ambaji Mandir in Garfield and
Vaikunth Dham temple in Kearny
