SECAUCUS -- In ancient times, the people of India weighed their maharajas against gold ornaments as a gesture of devotion to the powerful rulers of princely states.
On Sunday, a modern-day version of that ritual will be staged in Secaucus, where a small but growing congregation of Indian immigrants is anchoring its roots to Hudson County.
On a huge two-armed scale imported from India, bars of gold bullion will be piled on a tray opposite a life-size, solid-marble idol of the founder of their two-century-old Hindu sect.
The gold, more than $3 million worth, is being lent by a New York bank and delivered by armored truck.
The weighing of Supreme Lord Shree Swaminarayan, and hand-carved statues of two other sect leaders, is among the highlights of a five-day religious celebration marking the grand opening of the sect's first house of worship in the United States.
The new Shree Swaminarayan Temple and Muktajeevan Swamibapa Community Hall, a $7 million project, still faces several months of work before it is completed. Yet hundreds of members of the sect, including its spiritual leader and a contingent of 32 holy men from India, have gathered in Secaucus from around the globe for this auspicious event which has been five years in the making.
"Everybody is enjoying it," said Dharmabhai M. Patel, an engineer and manager with the New York City Transit Authority, as workmen nearby were busy putting finishing touches on the temple's towers.
"We are a little behind on the construction but it's OK. When everything is done it's going to be a beautiful place," said Patel, president of the congregation, who was one of the first of the sect to settle in the United States 34 years ago.
Most of the 200 members are first-generation Indian-Americans who have settled in North Bergen, Secaucus, and Jersey City since the 1980s. Though they seem to have spared no expense in the building and the celebration, they are of relatively modest means, said Dilip B. Patel of North Bergen, a member of the construction committee and an attorney for a blue-chip law firm in New York.
"A lot of us have stores and businesses, but by no means would you consider these people affluent. They'd be barely middle class. Funny thing is, most of these people give more money to the temple than . . . they probably spent on their houses. In the whole congregation, there's probably two people with Mercedes. Everybody else drives your average middle-class car mainly because they're giving all their money to the temple," said Patel, the congregation's sole attorney.
The sect, which has about 900 members in the United States and millions in India, England, and Kenya, espouses a simple lifestyle and an ideology based on compassion, love, and high moral standards. Members are strict vegetarians who also refrain from alcohol, smoking, tea, and coffee.
"It's not just the food and what you consume, but the kind of thoughts that you follow. You live a clean and decent lifestyle," said Patel.
The 22,500-square-foot building sits on 3.7 acres on Penhorn Avenue in a warehouse district on the edge of wetlands. It is a mixture of traditional Indian and modern American motifs, including skylights and picture window seats.
The three main sections of the building are the prayer hall, where the marble deities are to be enshrined in a carved teak altar, quarters for visiting priests, and a multipurpose room. The large multipurpose room can serve as a concert hall seating 570 people or can host a 300-person banquet.
The hall, equipped with a stage half the size of a Broadway theater's, will feature spotlights, acoustic tiles, dressing rooms, and other facilities to accommodate cultural activities.
The orange-robed priests, many of whom are talented artisans, arrived in May and have been working at the temple, carving the backdrop for the outdoor ceremonies. They also built a chariot float and a swan for a parade in Jersey City over the weekend and another parade in Secaucus on Saturday.
The grand opening will culminate Sunday with the installation of the three idols. In a ritual weighing the sect says has never before been done anywhere, the hand-carved idols, each weighing nearly 600 pounds, will be weighed against solid gold bars. It is a testament to the faith and commitment of the sect members.
The gold weighing ritual has provided a powerful boost to the congregation's fundraising efforts.
"We've had people say, 'Look, I'll pay for 10 kilos, I'll pay for 5 kilos.' At last count, we were well over $4 million," said Patel, who added that the funds will help defray the temple's construction and festival costs. Donors will match the value of gold with real dollars. After the ceremony, the gold ingots will be returned to the bank.
The group's spiritual leader, Swamishree Purushottampriyadasji, is presiding over the ceremonies which include scripture readings, speeches, and evening cultural programs featuring classical Indian music, dance, and drama.
"I don't think this could have been possible without his inspiration because our congregation is really not that big," said Patel.
He said that virtually everyone with whom the group has dealt, from bank officers to the architect, engineer, and local officials, has been generous and helpful.
"You frequently hear of reports in other communities where Hindu temples are getting a lot of opposition from the local groups. In Secaucus, the people have been wonderful to us. They have really gone out of their way to welcome us," he said.
"I don't know what it is. But I guess they meet us and they see how sincere we are in our efforts, and what we're trying to do, and either they're touched or blessed. You can call it whatever you want. Everybody goes out of their way to make this thing happen for us."
Why build the temple in Secaucus?
"For a while, there was sort of a frenzy in the Indian community to buy these 50-acre sites out on Route 80 or somewhere far away so you could create sort of a little community. But we didn't buy into that. We said our goal is to serve our community. If our community lives in North Bergen and Jersey City and Secaucus, that's where we're going to be."