WOODBRIDGE, UNITED STATES, 19 September, 2005: Hundreds of people from around the world gathered in Colonia at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan temple, once a Jewish place of worship, to mark its official opening early this month. The original Jewish temple closed due to a dwindling congregation. Shri Swaminarayan followers number in the millions throughout the world. Priest, Gnan Prakash says that the Swaminarayan sect is 200 to 250 years old. Its followers has grown vastly over the last 25 years in particular. The establishment of the temple also demonstrates the rise of the Indian-American population in New Jersey. According to 2000 U.S. Census data, Middlesex County had almost one-third of all Indians in the state while Woodbridge, which went from 1,959 Indians residing in the township in 1980, to 8,592 in 2000. The Woodbridge temple is the eighth BAPS Swaminarayan temple in the United States, with other temples in Boston, Houston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Tampa, Detroit and Weehawken. “For the first time outside of India, we were able to have copies of the same marble idols from the first temple in India that was built more than 200 years ago and the most dramatic change involved the construction of a massive shikar, or dome, overhead,” said Patel. “The idols represent the NarNarayan Dev and they are the main idols of the temple.” he said.
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