PHOTOS: Provided by Dr. Vipul Patel
“You believe in what I believe in and what Representative Weprin believes in. You believe in fairness. You believe in faith. You believe in public safety. Your entrepreneur spirit has allowed businesses to grow. We must continue to stay on that path. We must lift each other up and pray for each other,” said New York City’s Mayor Eric Adams.
Adams was speaking to more than a thousand devotees at the weekly Sunday Sabha at Flushing’s Swaminarayan Temple on July 27, 2025.
Praising the Indian community and their contribution to New York City and America, Adams lauded doctors and medical professionals for working hard during Covid. Adams also spoke of Queens’ Indian community, their lifestyles and beliefs, recalling how they started building temples and houses of worship upon arrival in New York City. “It has not only benefited here, but has cascaded to benefit the entire city,” he said.
Adams has visited India during this time. In his address, he particularly recalled his visit to Shantivan in India where he paid respect to Gandhi at his Samadhi. He said he was impressed by seeing Gandhi’s footsteps etched into the concrete which made him thoughtful.
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“I reflected on our responsibility and our obligation…. We have an obligation to follow those steps. They are not just there in India; they are here in Queens and throughout our entire country,” Adams said.
During his visit to the temple, Adams met with gurus and swamis. He also performed the ritual of Shanti Path and Abhishek, and pulled the chain of the Hindola swing and prayed for blessings for the upcoming elections.
The meeting was also attended by Assemblyman David Weprin and Pastor Gil Monrose who is the executive director of the Office of Faithbased and Community Partnerships. He is also the Faith Advisor to Adams. Swami Nilkanthseva conducted the regular Sabha speaking about Guru Bhakti and how to imbibe it in daily life. Leaders of the Indian community were also present.
Dr. Vipul Patel, Administrator of the External Affairs Committee of the Swaminarayan Temple told Desi Talk the Swaminarayan Temple runs a regular weekly voter registration drive to encourage people to vote.
“Indian people sometimes are too shy and sometimes too lazy to go and vote,” he said. The temple sets up a voter registration desk on their premises every Sunday when thousands of devotees and their friends visit the temple for the Sunday Sabha. The temple also holds a voter awareness and educational presentation, he informed.
The month of Shravana is auspicious for Hindus and Gujarati temples hold Hindola Utsav, decorating the temple with a special swing for the image of Krishna. The Swaminarayan Temple holds Hindola event for the whole month of Shravan. The Sunday Satsang Sabha generally has inspirational talk by Swamis and other cultural programs presented by children and young adults, followed by a dinner. The weekly Satsang has been reportedly drawing between 1,000 and 3,000 devotees.
The same evening, Adams also visited the Hindola Utsav at the Vaishnav Shreenathji Temple of New York which was attended by more than 200 people.
Adams has been visiting Hindu temples during his current term participating in special events including Diwali, Hindu New Year and the flag hoisting ceremony on India’s Independence Day.
Adams has also supported Assembly member Jenifer Rajkumar in pushing for official Diwali holiday in New York public schools, but also participated in Diwali celebrations with various organizations and temples, hosting a special Diwali reception in 2024 where he announced it as an annual event.