Source: News India-Times

http://www.newsindia-times.com/2002/10/04/sp-akshardham-top.html

On October 2, 2002 News India-Times reported that "taking place as it did exactly a year and a fortnight after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, the faith of the people of Indian origin... recieved a blow with the terrorist attack on the Akshardham temple in Gandhinagar on Sept. 24." The temple in the Indian state of Gujarat is the headquarters of the Hindu Swaminarayan movement. "Even perhaps more than others, a sense of loss prevailed in the congregations of the Bochasanwasi Shri Aksharpurushottam Swaminarayan (BAPS) temples in New Jersey and Queens, New York, and several other places, where condolence and prayer meetings were organized... About 3,000 people [gathered] at the Swaminarayan temple at Edison, New Jersey... It was a spontaneous gathering of people united by grief... [Indian] Ambassador-at-large Bhisma Agnihotri, state assistant of New Jersey governor Roger Chug, councilman Bob Dill, N.J. Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula... leaders of several social organizations, television and newspaper representatives, and reporters were present on the occasion... The assembly observed a minute’s silence in memory of the dead and joined in the prayers for the quick recovery of the injured."