The JCA NY Temple complex is a 16,625 square feet facility, with four stories and a cellar. The total height of the temple is 66’ 5” with the Kalash, the Shikhar at the height of the building is 24’ 1” and the Kalash is 2’ 9”.
The first wave of Jain immigrants from India to New York, USA occurred in the mid 1960’s. In order to preserve and maintain their religious and cultural heritage, these early migrants started to informally meet in 1965 in the borough of Manhattan in various facilities, such as Columbia University, the Indian Consulate, Jain Meditation Center and other Secular Halls. From these initial stages, the Jain Center of America - New York (JCA) was the first Jain Center organized and registered in America in 1976. In its early formative years, the JCA NY Center had an organization, but no place to worship and practice their Jain religion. In 1981, the center purchased its first temple building in the borough of Queens, New York. In June 2005, the JCA NY celebrated its Pratishta Mahotsav in the newly constructed state of the art temple at 43-11 Ithaca St, Elmhurst, Queens, NY, replacing the original temple building acquired in 1981. The unique design of this complex is a shining example of Unity with Diversity for the Jain Community of New York. The JCA NY Center was awarded the very prestigious “Best Religious Building” award for 2005 in Queens, NY, a borough known as the “Mosaic Melting Pot of America”.
