Source: NY 1 News

http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?stid=10&aid=51559

On June 16, 2005 NY 1 News reported, "Music, chanting and dancing were all part of the celebration of the opening of the New Jain Center of Greater New York. 'This is something that we have been dreaming about for many years, and finally we reached it, so this is a very, very happy occasion,' says the temple’s Naresh Shah. Jainism, which means the uplifting of one's soul, is a 2,600-year-old religion that began in India. 'Jainism basically preaches the teachings of non-violence and peace,' says the temple’s Hemant Shah. 'We are completely vegetarians, and also we believe in the theory of relativity in terms of everyone's viewpoint is to be taken into consideration.' Now the religion has a permanent place in Western Queens in a newly renovated temple. Thursday a celebration was held to mark the installation of the idols of worship, many of them made of marble and precious stones... According to the group, there are 1,250 Jain families in New York City who belong to five different sects of the religion. Now they can all worship at the new temple. "