WASHINGTON, DC, September 25, 2002: Hours after the massacre of some 30 devotees in Gujarat, hundreds of disciples gathered for prayers at Swaminarayan temples across the United States, where the group has a wide following, while President Bush and his administration strongly condemned the murderous attack. The most prominent meeting was at the Swaminarayan Sanstha Temple in Edison, New Jersey, where a previously planned prayer meeting with state and local officials turned into a long-distance wake. With dozens of temples across the US, the Swaminarayan Sanstha is the most prominent and non-controversial among Hindu organizations and has had goodwill visits by several public figures, including former President Bill Clinton. US-based devotees say the Swaminarayan complexes here are not only temples but also cultural, spiritual, historical and social centers. More than 300 people gathered at the Beltsville Temple last night in an impromptu prayer meeting as news of the massacre spread among devotees, Kirit Patel, the temple priest said. More prayers are planned for the weekend.
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