Holy Pilgrimage - Hindu temples in USA

Hindu Mandir, Liverpool, NY

The address of the Hindu Mandir of CNY is:
HINDU MANDIR OF CENTRAL NEW YORK INC.
P.O. BOX 3114
LIVERPOOL, NY 13089-3114

ABOUT THE MANDIR PROPERTY AND ITS LOCATION

The Mandir site is located on State Fair Boulevard just south of Jones Road, approximately 1 mile from John Glen Boulevard and 1/2 mile east of the Jones Road exit off I-690, and about 1 mile north of Exit 39 off the New York State Thruway.

Directions to the Mandir

From New York State thruway take exit #39, right turn towards Syracuse on I-690, take exit #2 Jones Road, right on Jones Road, 1/2 mile to NYS State route 48, right on route #48, Mandir on right, 500 yds.
From I-81 take thruway at exit 36, go west and follow the above.
From I-690 West, take exit #2, Jones road and follow the above directions.

The address of the Hindu Mandir of CNY is:
HINDU MANDIR OF CENTRAL NEW YORK INC.
P.O. BOX 3114
LIVERPOOL, NY 13089-3114

E-mail me at: nshanbhag@msn.com

Vedanta Society of New York, New York, NY

VEDANTA SOCIETY OF NEW YORK, 34 WEST 71st STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10023, USA.

Email -> mail@vedantany.org | Phone -> 212 - 877 - 9197 | Fax -> 212 - 877 - 9198

The Center is closed for summer recess and will reopen in September after Labor Day weekend. It remains open through this period only for daily evening prayer.

Vedanta Society of New York History

The Vedanta Society of New York (VSNY) is affiliated with the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission. In fact, VSNY is the Order's first Center started by Swami Vivekananda, in 1894. It was an historical event for the Order, for the seed of the world-wide Ramakrishna Movement was sown here in New York over a century ago.
Vivekananda was the first teacher of Vedanta to come to the West, who drew wide acclaim by his historic addresses at the World Parliament of Religions held in Chicago in 1893. After the conclusion of the Parliament, a group of American students interested to learn more about Vedanta gathered about the Swami, and the first Vedanta Center in the West started in New York City.

It was an humble beginning in two rented rooms at 54 West 33rd Street in Manhattan.

Swami Tathagatananda, a senior monk of the Ramakrishna Order, is the resident spiritual leader of the VSNY since 1976. The Swami is a disciple of Swami Virajananda (the sixth President of the Ramakrishna Order and a disciple of Swami Vivekananda, the founder of VSNY).

Swami Tathagatananda continues the rich tradition of the Society in public work that includes Sunday morning services at 11:00, classes during the week each Tuesday and Friday evening, and outside speaking engagements on Vedanta and Hinduism. ). In keeping with the Society's historical role of publishing, the Swami, a prolific writer, continues to publish valuable contributions to Vedantic literature

Activities

Sunday Service

Sunday services starts with Meditation followed by an hour Lecture at 11 AM. Lectures are given on Vedanta, Inspirational Talks, Harmony of Religions etc.

Weekday Classes

On Tuesdays at 8pm, Swami Paritustananda conducts a class on "The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna" and on Fridays at 8pm, Swami Tathagatananda conducts a class on "The Bhagavad Gita". All Classes and Services are free and open to the public.

Daily Prayer Service

Morning: Chanting of the Bhagavad Gita, Bhajan, Reading from the Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, Meditation
Evening: Singing Arati Songs, Meditation

Special Service

Special services are held at the center each year on the occasion Sri Ramakrishna's Birthday, Holy Mother's Birthday, Swami Vivekananda's Birthday, Sri Sri Durga Puja, Christmas and Easter.

Meditation Guidance

Swami Tathagatananda is glad to give interviews to spiritual seekers who wish to know more about Vedanta or the practice of Meditation. All appointments must be made in advance.

Special Lectures and Seminars

Swamis from other Centers, Spirtual Leader from Different Faiths, Community leaders, Academicians are often invited by Swami Tathagatananda to speak at the Center. Seminars are also arranged at the Center for groups of students from colleges, universities, and other organizations who wish to visit the Vedanta Society of New York and learn more about its teachings.

Library and Bookshop

Vedanta Society of New York houses more than thousand books published by the different centers of the Ramakrishna Order. Books on topics such as Vedanta, Hinduism, Spirituality, Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada Devi, Swami Vivekananda, Buddhism, Christainity and Islam are available. Member devotees are welcome to use the library.
The Center has a bookshop where devotees can buy books, cds and dvds on Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother, Swami Vivekananda and Vedanta. The Bookshop is open everyday after the Evening prayer and after the Sunday Lecture.

After moving to different rented houses in Manhattan several times between 1894 and 1921 (see details), VSNY finally settled down at its current and permanent address (34 West 71st Street) on the west side of Central park, a few blocks south of the Museum of Natural History.

For over a century now, the society has been serving the spiritual seekers of all faiths, age, nationality, cast,and creed by offering Sunday services and weekly classes on Vedanta as propounded in the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna.

     Vedanta Society of New York (VSNY) is affiliated with the Ramakrishna Order of India. In fact, VSNY is the Order's first Center started by Swami Vivekananda, in 1894. It was an historic event, for the seed of the world-wide Ramakrishna Movement was sown here in New York over a century ago.
     Swami Vivekananda was the first teacher of Vedanta to come to the West, who drew wide acclaim by his electrifying addresses at the World's Parliament of Religions held in Chicago in 1893. After the conclusion of the Parliament, a group of American students interested to learn more about Vedanta gathered about the Swami, and the first Vedanta Center in the West was started in New York City.
     Vedanta Society of New York bases its teachings on the System of Vedanta , especially as explained by Sri Ramakrishna (1836-1886) and his chief disciple Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902) and as demonstrated in their lives.
     The Society is one of the number of Vedanta Centers in the US, and is guided by Swamis (monks) of the Order, who serve as ministers.

Swami Vivekananda - World Parliament of Religions

WELCOME ADDRESS - Chicago, Sept 11, 1893

Sisters and Brothers of America,
It fills my heart with joy unspeakable to rise in response to the warm and cordial welcome which you have given us. I thank you in the name of the most ancient order of monks in the world; I thank you in the name of the mother of religions; and I thank you in the name of millions and millions of Hindu people of all classes and sects.
My thanks, also, to some of the speakers on this platform who, referring to the delegates from the Orient, have told you that these men from far-off nations may well claim the honour of bearing to different lands the idea of toleration.
I am proud to belong to a religion which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance. We believe not only in universal toleration, but we accept all religions as true. I am proud to belong to a nation which has sheltered the persecuted and the refugees of all religions and all nations of the earth. I am proud to tell you that we have gathered in our bosom the purest remnant of the Israelites, who came to Southern India and took refuge with us in the very year in which their holy temple was shattered to pieces by Roman tyranny. I am proud to belong to the religion which has sheltered and is still fostering the remnant of the grand Zoroastrian nation.
I will quote to you, brethren, a few lines from a hymn which I remember to have repeated from my earliest boyhood, which is every day repeated by millions of human beings: “As the different streams having their sources in different places all mingle their water in the sea, so, O Lord, the different paths which men take through different tendencies, various though they appear, crooked or straight, all lead to Thee.”
The present convention, which is one of the most august assemblies ever held, is in itself a vindication, a declaration to the world of the wonderful doctrine preached in the Gita: “Whosoever comes to Me, through whatsoever form, I reach him; all men are struggling through paths which in the end lead to me.”
Sectarianism, bigotry, and its horrible descendant, fanaticism, have long possessed this beautiful earth. They have filled the earth with violence, drenched it often and often with human blood, destroyed civilisation and sent whole nations to despair. Had it not been for these horrible demons, human society would be far more advanced than it is now.
But their time is come; and I fervently hope that the bell that tolled this morning in honour of this convention may be the death-knell of all fanaticism, of all persecutions with the sword or with the pen, and of all uncharitable feelings between persons wending their way to the same goal.

Karma Yoga

Every Saturday, Volunteer work from 9 am to 12 pm, under the guidance of a Swami

Includes Cleaning the Chapel, Watering the Garden, Maintaining the Library, Bookstore Updates, Helping the Elderly, Computer Work etc.

34 WEST 71st STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10023, USA.
Email -> mail@vedantany.org | Phone -> 212 - 877 - 9197 | Fax -> 212 - 877 - 9198

Directions
The Vedanta Society of New York is located at 34 West 71st street on the west side of Central Park in Manhattan, New York, a few blocks south of the Museum of Natural History and a few blocks north of Lincoln Center. You may take the B or the C train to 72nd street.

Before moving to its current permanent home in 1921, Vedanta Society was in rented apartments in many different parts of Manhattan. Vedantists and followers of the Ramakrishna Movement may find the information below interesting.

Homes of the Vedanta Society of New York
(As accurately as can be traced)

Year	Address	Source	Resident Swami
1895	54 West 33 St	Marie Louise Burke, Swami Vivekananda in the West: New Discoveries, Vol III: p. 574	Swami Vivekananda
1895/96	228 West 39 Street	Ibid., III: p. 578	Swami Vivekananda
1896	509 Fifth Ave/42 St	Ibid., IV: p. 345	Swami Saradananda
1897	117 Lexington Ave	Swami Abhedananda, Amar Jivankatha, p. 138	Swami Abhedananda
1897	170 Lexington Ave	Complete Works of Swami Abhedananda, Vol X: p. 15	Swami Abhedananda
1899	146 East 55 Street	Sister Shivani, An Apostle of Monism, p. 290	Swami Abhedananda
1900	102 East 58 Street	Marie Louise Burke, Swami Vivekananda in the West: New Discoveries, Vol V: p. 145, Vol VI: pp. 266, 307	Swami Abhedananda
1905	62 West 71 Street	Vedanta Monthly Bulletin, (Apr. 1905) I:cover	Swami Abhedananda
1907	135 West 80 Street	Vedanta Monthly Bulletin, (Apr. 1907) III: pp. 14, 61 (Mar. 1908) III: pp. 12, 207	Swami Abhedananda
1915	236 Central Park West	Vedanta Quarterly, Oct 1915, p. 236, Message of the East	Swami Bodhananda
1921 --	34 West 71 Street	Prabuddha Bharata, Awakened India (July 1922), p. 280	Swami Bodhananda Swami Pavitrananda Swami Tathagatananda

Om Tat Sat

(Continued...)

(My humble salutations to the great devotees , wikisources and Pilgrimage tourist guide for the collection )

Hindu Vedic Philosophy (Holy Pilgrimage - Theertha Kshetra)