Thousands attended a four-session Veda Yajna (prayer service) to mark the launching of an Arya Samaj educational centre in Queens, New York two weekends ago.

The Maharshi Dayananda Gurukula, also known as the Rishi Dayananda Center for Indian Learning will be used to train pundits and render educational services for the large Guyanese community in NY. The gurukula (educational learning institute), founded by Guyanese-born Dr. Satish Prakash, who was educated in India and is a leading expert on the Arya Samaj movement, is situated at 93-37 150 Street in Jamaica, Queens.

The institute has been funded by donations from among the large following of mostly Guyanese immigrants, and the cost of constructing the centre reportedly runs into several millions.

The inaugural ceremonies were held nightly from Thursday until Sunday.

It concluded on Sunday morning with a prayer service and a luncheon, with the crowd spreading downstairs to the basement. Officiating at the ceremonies was Dr. Prakash, Executive Director of the gurukula, assisted by several young Guyanese pundits. The occasion was also used by the thousands of congregants to celebrate the 50th birth anniversary of Dr. Prakash who hails from West Demerara.

The gurukula will serve as a temple and an educational institution. Pundit Prakash, an accredited educator with the Department of Education of NY, and his executive team envision both a western and an eastern curriculum of studies for the students. They intend having a grade school with a Vedic/Hindu component, and also classes to help students with GED and SAT preparation, LPN, home-work, and other academic needs. “Lessening Human Suffering, Educating Human Minds” is their declared motto. The eastern curriculum will focus on Hindi and Sanskrit, Hindu Theology, Philosophy and Indian Literature.

Dr. Prakash says that “in this age of information technology, we must be able to rationally explain our beliefs and practices or else our children will refuse to be associated with them.”

Devotees and well-wishers came from all parts of the tri-state area as well as from far as away Toronto, Florida and Arizona.

The gurukula is decorated with paintings adorning the inner walls, while a special saffron colour is on the outside street walls. Sumesh Sanker, who headed the renovation team, said: “Even the local police precinct came to congratulate us, because the building, in its current state, tremendously improves the image of the neighbourhood”. The neighbourhood which had been a problem area for cops for years is expected to be transformed with the presence of this learning center and mandir.