The Hindu Temple Society of North America

Ganesh Temple is my favorite temple in NY, and my family has been visiting it for over 30 years. Unfortunately, photography isn't allowed inside, but you can take pictures outside the temple. The temple has two entrances, one of which is beautifully decorated with divine pictures, grand pillars, and long Dwajasthambam(Flag Pole) which looks very impressive and feels auspicious. Inside, you'll find a variety of gods like Hanuman, Maha Lashmi, Lord Venkateswara, Shiva Linga with Nandi, Lalitha Devi, Katyayani Devi, and Shanmukha Swamy, all arranged in a peaceful and beautiful manner. The temple also has a section for the Nava grahas at the back, which you shouldn't miss to visit. The priests here are very knowledgeable and kind, adding to the spiritual experience. They conduct all pujas and Abhishekams with great devotion and care. The temple also has a stunning auditorium for cultural performances. Don't forget to visit the canteen; the South Indian food is absolutely delicious; especially their pakodas and masala chai. I personally love their Thali, which they serve on Sundays. It's a must-try And in the basement, apart from the canteen, there's a gift shop with useful books and articles and Grand Ganesh Statue. When it comes to parking, there are few options. You can find street parking, but it might be limited at times. The temple offers a free parking lot, which is convenient. However, if that's full, there are paid parking lots nearby. Overall, Ganesh Temple is a must-visit place. I've attached a few pictures for you to see. Make sure to experience the spiritual and serene atmosphere here.

The Hindu Temple Society of North America, situated in Queens, New York, stands as a beacon of Hindu spirituality and cultural heritage in North America. Founded in 1977, this temple has grown into a vibrant community hub, welcoming devotees and visitors alike to experience the richness of Hindu traditions. One of the most commendable aspects of the Hindu Temple Society is its commitment to inclusivity and diversity. Regardless of background or belief, all are welcomed with open arms to partake in the temple's activities, from daily rituals to annual festivals. This spirit of inclusivity fosters a sense of unity and belonging among its diverse congregation, making it a truly special place for spiritual seekers. The temple's architecture is a sight to behold, blending traditional South Indian temple design with modern elements. Intricate carvings, colorful sculptures, and majestic towers create a visually stunning environment that transports visitors to the sacred temples of India. In addition to its religious services, the Hindu Temple Society offers a wide range of cultural and educational programs. From language classes to music and dance recitals, these offerings help preserve and promote Hindu culture for future generations. The temple also plays an active role in serving the local community through charitable initiatives and social outreach programs. Whether providing meals for the homeless or hosting blood drives, the Hindu Temple Society exemplifies the Hindu values of compassion and service to others. Overall, the Hindu Temple Society of North America receives high praise for its warm hospitality, architectural beauty, cultural preservation efforts, and commitment to serving both its congregation and the broader community. It stands as a shining example of how a religious institution can positively impact society at large.

Very Good South Indian Temple.. Great Architecture.. Must Go

A very well maintained Hindu temple outside t Hindu country. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 Don’t miss to visit canteen in t temple. U get delicious pakka South Indian food😋

This temple is a crown jewel of Queens. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming. The priests are kind and approachable. They offer comprehensive Hindu services, as well as classes and events. I recently attended for Ganesh Chaturthi and stayed for hours. I recommend planning to spend as much time as possible when you visit. The canteen offers delicious food (dosas, idli, vada, papadam) at good prices, making it a destination where you can stay all day. It's an absolutely gorgeous place to worship and connect with god.

Most beautiful, calm and serene, blissful, well maintained temple in the USA 🇺🇸. The priests are friendly, kind and welcoming which was a surprise for us. First time visiting this temple in Queens, New York. Easy access using Train and Bus. The god and goddess idols are pretty 😍 and beautifully decorated. Felt lots of positivity, calmness and good energy. Highly recommended of your are visiting NYC. Check out the temple canteen in the basement. Delicious South Indian (Tamizh style cuisine) authentic food 5/5. #NYC #Queens #Temple

Beautiful temple and well maintained with access to information and well organised. Very lively place and celebrations are grand during festivals and especially during Ganesh Chathurthi. Very powerful Temple with many devotees having great experiences including myself. Temple is full of positive vibes and pleasant feeling. They also have a temple canteen where devotees can purchase the food and please visit the temple if you are in NY.

"This Ganesha Temple in New York is a divine gem tucked away in the vibrant cityscape, offering a haven of peace and spirituality amidst the hustle and bustle of urban life.Stepping into the temple is like entering another world, where the chaos of the city fades away, and a sense of tranquility washes over you. The intricate architecture and vibrant colors immediately captivate the senses, creating a sacred atmosphere that is both awe-inspiring and inviting. MUST VISIT.

This is a place of worship, so make sure that you walk in clean with good and clean intentions. Make sure your intentions are good to enter a place of worship, especially if you are walking with me! If you have bad intent, our relationship will not last. I just try to bust this myth and it feels like I have a force field trying to protect me. Just make sure to get a laugh if you are a non-believer or appreciate the godly powers if you are a believer. What I am....you will never know. Just don't go ask my ex, she will spit out laughing!! Dress appropriately, or you will not be allowed to enter. People of all religions are welcome!! Though I don't consider Hinduism a religion, I believe it's just a guide on how to live your life. Don't forget to pick up your Prasad and just sit down for a few mins, eat the Prasad before you walk out of the temple.

My 250th review on Yelp and I reserved it for this divine and special place - The Ganesha Temple of the US of A! Wow, reviews that are 12 years old for a place and featuring on Yelp! This place has a special history of being the oldest Hindu temple in the US and is apparently more famous for its canteen/cafeteria rather than its main Hindu deity, Lord Ganesha (Elephant faced God), which I'll review separately. The temple has a serene vibe to itself, neatly maintained and has many other deities that are decorated so beautifully. They perform grand poojas on special occasions and see crowds from different states, visiting the temple. The priests are kind and share a good rapport with the devotees visiting the temple. The front desk people are always available for answering our queries and the security guards outside the gate do their jobs very diligently making sure people follow the temple rules and safety protocols. Parking in front of the temple might be a challenge but they have a dedicated parking space behind the temple. The temple just recently (04/04/2022) got Ganesh Temple added to its existing street name - Bowne street.

I love to learn new cultures, when my friend told me she wanted to go to this temple I said yes immediately:) I love any world structure and I already saw one of famous Hindu temple when I was in Bangkok so I wanted to know what is this temple looks. I didn't expect the structure to be exactly temple in India either. The temple open in the morning until early afternoon and you must dress respectfully, no shorts or ripped jeans, skirt must be longer than knees. There is a small grocery store you can buy milk and oil and bring to the temple if you want to pay respect. When I get in I take my shoes off and wash my feet before I step inside. There are many Gods and story beside, it is very interesting. They don't allow anyone to take a picture inside but you can take a picture outside.

This a good place to go for some good southern indian cuisine. The place has all the basics done right such as the dosa, vada , idli, upma , uttapam( pancake). The portions of sambhar are small and leave you wanting more. Unfortunately, they don't do refills for sambhar. The place is fast with the orders. If you eat here have a mango lassi for sure! They do specials menu at times. For eg . We had the paneer masala dosa which was delicious!

Am I being a totally blasphemous bitch for saying that I come here not for some endless round of pujas and sickeningly sweet incense, but instead for the insanely delicious dosas and wonderful, hot lentil dishes in the cafeteria? Prolly. Yeah. Yeah. Worship all the make-believe friends you like, folks. Knock yourselves out if you choose to grovel in front of garish, Technicolor statues of so called deities 'til the sacred cows come home. Hell, get mounted by Lord Krishna and snort some poppers if you wish. I'm here for the food, kid. The FOOD. (THE GRUB HERE IN THE TEMPLE CAFETERIA IS REALLY, REALLY GOOD.) #AtheistFoodieFromOklahoma

*ABSURD* that VISITORS who have always been WELCOMED RATE A HOUSE OF WORSHIP. The temple and cafeteria are NON PROFIT. If you have issues with the rules of the temple don't go!! If you really don't like the food there's no need to be nasty- pay $$$ and go to a Michelin star restaurant. I've been going to this beautiful temple since I was a child and it distresses me than non worshippers 'Yelp review.' Maybe it would be better NOT to offer free tours and restrict entry like other orthodox places of worship do.

Temple is excellent and americas first few temples !Very well maintained !! Coming to the canteen , it's obviously reasonably priced since it's in the temple !Spacious dining hall !!We got dosas and coffee and almond burfi and Puran polo !Dosas were good but got super cold !!I prefer dosas piping hot !they have quite a good amount of food on the menu !Impressed

This is the temple that I go to every sunday. Temple: Nice, friendly atmosphere. If you are South Indian, you will fit in the best. Everything is very co-ordinated inside and not chaotic, even on big holidays. Canteen: Here is the food part of the review. After I pray, I usually head down to the canteen which serves the BEST South Indian food in all of New York City. I kid you not. The dosa is not too soft nor too crispy. You can even order it soft or crispy! The best part is that on sunday they have a "special lunch" where you basically get pickle, sambar, rasam, rice, chappati, 2 veggies and a sweet and sometimes more! All of that for just $7! Unbeatable! Another nice thing about the canteen is that they have little TV screens with devotional serials going most of the time. Location: There is a Swaminarayan temple down the way which has really great sweets. It's a Gujurati place. And on the corner of the block, there is Sri Balaji groccery which has a not-too-big/not-too-small selection of desi grocceries. All accessible by the 27 bus. I love the place!

I have been coming to this temple, and the canteen, for years. First stop - a visit to the temple upstairs. Remove shoes, add to hundreds of other shoes in the pile outside, enter the temple to relax, reflect, participate and observe. Sign up for Tabla lessons. Take a few flights of stairs down to the canteen. Eat Myesore dosas (mildly spicy) or tomato uttapam. They are really quite wonderful.

This is one of the most well-organized temples in the city. With a fully operational South Indian restaurant in its basement, a state-of-the-art theater for performances and lectures by scholars and saints and regular pujas going on daily. Very peace filled and calming. Don't leave without having a paper dosa or one of the many traditional South indian rice dishes not available elsewhere in New York City. So delicious!

Beautiful temple that is very well maintained and make you feel right at home! It was great to find this place after moving to the big city. A feeling of comfort and familiarity is very refreshing in NYC! The canteen is amazing. Hands down, some of the best South Indian food I've ever had. Very fairly priced, and everything we tried was delicious! I can't wait to come back.

I love this place! This temple has a wonderful community, and the learning facilities are great for children. They offer tutoring in mathematics, science, dance, classical Indian music, Indian languages (only Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, and Telugu at the moment), as well as religion. They have a variety of halls for functions, too. The canteen here is the best South Indian Udupi cuisine I've had away from home. I totally recommend coming here for worship, community, and definitely the food!

Great dosas, Great Prices!!!!! The dosas were very delicious and filling. The paper dosa is so big, it totally surprised my friend whos never had one before. The people who work in the canteen are really nice and the food is ready really quick. The mango lassi has to be highlighted, its so gooooood, and only $1.Wow, we were so full and got to tour the temple and click a few pics. Great experience, specially if this is all new to you!

Well done and neat Indian temple. Though done with a South Indian touch, this temple feels so good and vibrant. They do need some North Indian priests as well but then..... You must try the canteen downstairs. Yet another heavenly place.

although its been under expansion construction for the longest time and seems like it will be for a while, this temple just oozes with good vibes. you just feel great here. this place really has the feel of a south indian temple. puja is really special here. the cafetaria is surprisingly good, i might even say the best south indian food i've had in queens. its a simple cafetaria style set-up so don't expect to be served. but the food is so outstanding. dosas are done just right. coconut chutney, rasam, sambar are great. uttapams are very light. the bisibelabath rice is pretty hot! the LCD tvs show the mahabarat epic which is kinda funny to me, i usually expect to see some bollywood flick at an indian place featuring a big screen.

school cafeteria style dinning room, go and get your grab, plenty of tables and chairs full of happy heavenly faces, don t know if because they come from the temple or because of the food, but i assume it s the food, the food yes, those dosas are great, the soup is good, the sauces perfect and the prices ridiculous. i don t know who your god is but got to be better than jesus.

Finally I got a chance to go to Flushing to try all of the restaurant there. The first stop was here at the hindu temple and it was a nice temple where you have to take off your shoes but got alittle lost because it was hugh inside. Finally we want downstaire to eat at the canteen where Anthony Bourdain try all of the dishes. Anyway we order the spicy masala dosa, the regular dosa and a onion pancake like and everything came w.2 sauces. One was a lental type of soup and one was a spicy coconut chutney. Anyway everything was delicious and cheap. Of course there is a long time but everything was like $5 or $6 dollar plus the mango lasse was delicious and normally I don't like lasse. I would come back here whenever I get a chance!

This is a no frills basement cafeteria beneath the gorgeous hindu temple serving some great authentic Indian food for their community. You can't get more authentic than this - it's so far from what you'll find on the Lower East Side and well worth the exploration if you're in this neck of Queens.

This is just basically a huge banquet hall full of devatas (deities). When I say FULL, I seriously mean full of devatas. There are about 5 very large devatas and then 30 other mini ones around the room. There was somewhat of a sewage smell within the temple, probably a result of the offerings that have rotted over time. You could see the priests performing ceremonies and adorning the different devatas. The largest devata they have is Lord Ganesa. The deity has an elephant-head with a human form and represents the universality of creation, which was said to have begun with "Om" or "Pranava." Canteen So I'm not really one for Indian food or spices (curry--gross), but hey, if I'm going to go out, might as well try foods that I would never/could never make for myself. I have no idea why I didn't look up Indian food on the internet to prepare myself, especially since I was completely lost waiting in line to order. But in a sense it was good I had no idea what I was going into because it allowed for a really authentic experience. It really allowed me to taste the food to figure out what the flavors might be. So my reviews of the food are what I thought of it before realizing exactly what it is--which I will explain for you. But in hindsight, I should have read more about Indian food to know how to eat the dishes. Only after I was done did I realize I was supposed to mix some soup-looking dishes into the main dishes. So maybe things would have tasted better had I eaten the dishes like they were supposed to be eaten... -Mango Lassi (drink): mmm very creamy and full of little bits of mango. It's actually just like a smoothie and when I looked up what it is made of (yogurt, water, mango pulp), no wonder why. It would have been better colder, however. -Special Onion Masala Dosa: tastes like a crispy crepe with fresh onions and scallions inside. The crepe seems to be fried and has somewhat of a fried taste which is good, but this seems to lack some substance. I mean there are just onions and scallions and no sauce or anything inside. So, what's dosa? It's a fermented crepe or pancake made from rice batter and black lentils. It's a staple dish and can be just eaten like that or it can be filled. Now masala dosa is made by stuffing a dosa with a filling of lightly cooked potatoes, fried onions and spices. The dosa is wrapped around an onion and potato curry (sabji). I didn't see the dosa wrapped around anything, nor were the potatoes inside... -Onion & Potato Curry: so not realizing that I was supposed to mix the potatoes with the masala dosa, I just ate them plain and they were delicious. Like I said, I'm not a fan of curry but this was my favorite part. They were just lightly curried and had a great seasoning and mushy texture. -White Thing (Chutney): it's like a cold soup that has a lot of spices and is very thick--like eating chunks of porridge. I'm sorry but it looks like throw up and feels like throw up so it's like spicy, spicy throw up mixed with a bland taste of some sort. I couldn't eat more than two bites. But basically chutney is some sort of mixture of spices, vegetables and/or fruits and can be either wet or dry, coarse or fine. -Tomato Uttapam: tastes like a rice pancake with some sweet tomatoes. Honestly this was just waaaay too sweet and ricey tasting to me that I couldn't even get halfway through it. What is it? It's a dosa-dish, but unlike a dosa, it is a thick pancake with toppings cooked right into the batter. It's called the "Indian Pizza." The batter is made of urad dal (lentils) and rice. -Sambar: this tastes like a sweet curry lentil/minestrone soup. It's so filled with vegetables that the soupy part almost doesn't exist. I didn't enjoy the sweet taste of this with the vegetables. So what is it? It's a vegetable stew made with tamarind and pigeon peas. It gets its taste from sambar powder (pigeon peas, roasted lentils, coriander seeds, dried whole red chili fenugreek seeds, coriander leaves and curry leaves). -Masala: it tastes like a spicy curry lentil/minestrone soup (like the opposite of sambar). It's very, very spicy and I don't really like the texture of it. It too is just a mixture of spices and veggies.

I am going to review the canteen. The Indian snacks are light and delicious. I had masala dosa, chenna and some other items. They go really well with authentic chai masala or mango lassi. Nice, friendly and unique atmosphere.

The temple was great and the canteen had AMAZING food! Hands down the best dosa I've ever had (mysore masala dosa). The masala chai was perfect as was the mango lassi. I will be back again!

I've been going to this temple all my life and the dosa from the canteen has always been, and still is, my biggest incentive to go. Their butter plain dosa is great. Simple, but filling and delicious. Their sambar is a hit with everyone in my family, even my grandma (that's a huge deal)! Great place for any meal :)

Excellent canteen & wonderful temple. Food is good & served fast (remember its self service). Try the weekend specials - like the spicy Hyderabadi dosa made with Chili Chutney. Loved the Anthony Bourdain episode on the place - we can't both be wrong.

Very pretty & the lines aren't crazy like in some other mandirs...the night sky lighting looks beautiful too!

we ate in the canteen this past Monday. Wow. Dosa heaven. Delicious smells, tastes and sights. And 6 of us ate for $30. I think I could possibly be addicted to the sambar (soup). Fabulous taste.

I walked in the temple and they had this guy who was like a bouncer and made sure I took off my shoes. "YOU MUST HAVE SHOES OFF". He didn't know I only came to eat. I went looking around for the cafeteria but I couldn't find it. My friend was walking around with his white socks and they were all dirty by this time. I had to ask Mr. Bouncer where the cafeteria was and he told me it was downstairs. He wouldn't let me go downstairs with my shoes off. So sternly told me "YOU MUST HAVE SHOES ON". I was shaking my head as I was walking down the stairs. I was here on a Friday and the place was empty with just me and my friend (3 people filtered in later). I ordered the special and kept on telling the lady that I was really hungry and was trying to get her to tell me which one is the bigger dish the special or something on the regular menu. She convinced me to order the special, but when my order came out she was complaining to the Chef in non-English. Her body language was kind of saying that the dish was not complete. She reluctantly gave me my dish and I reluctantly ate it. It was a piece of puffed bread and two sauces. Looking at my glass of water it was one step up from eating in jail. Good thing the mango lassi snapped me out of this mode of thinking. I didn't think this would be a place I would have to go for a pizza afterwards. I would give this place a try again but probably going to hit it on high time after a Hindu meeting. I think I just picked the wrong time to go which was Friday lunch time.

the canteen has some of the best and freshest south indian food i have had in nyc. ambiance is like a school cafeteria. but if you're in it for the food, you're golden.

Since the last 13 years, I have been visiting this place regularly; once a month at least. Very Good Dosas & good value Thali too. They also have authentic sweets, pickles & snacks. I think it is the "Best South Indian Vegetarian food in New York". But when they are busy, the place is little chaotic. The loud yelling to call the customers to pickup the orders is annoying. They could use simple display of numbers instead. Though the prices seems OK compared to high end restaurants, it is still high as this is a non profit place with no rent and many of the people manning the counter are volunteers. All food & beverage is dispensed on the cheapest available Styrofoam /plastic. The coconut chutney ( they get free coconut from the devotees) is always bland without any spice. An excellent masala dosa with bland coconut chutney? Also the toilet is always unclean, not befitting a very crowded place of worship. No soap & no hand towels. It is always flooded. The toilets are very poorly designed (for the public use of large number of people) and badly maintained. With the resources at their disposal (Volunteers/Money & material), there is much scope for improvement. Still, as usual, after the prayers, I willshall be patronizing the canteen for their excellent Dosa's & sweets whenever I visit the Temple