After operating out of an 8×8-foot storage closet for nearly 15 years, the Cornell Hindu Student Council has been granted a larger space for a Hindu Prayer Room in Anabel Taylor Hall by the Office of Spirituality and Meaning Making.
HSC and OSMM have been in communication since 2013, with HSC continually emphasizing the need for a permanent safe space for Hindu students on campus.
With the room, HSC aims to create a spiritual atmosphere and will contain meditation areas as well as spaces to hold pujas, which are Hindu acts of worship.
“The reason space is so important to our faith is because we kind of see that space as the home of the energy that we pray to,” said HSC President Megh Prajapati ’26. “It’s more important for us to have that permanent space … because that space also holds spiritual or faith significance to many members of the community.”
Founded in the early 2000s, HSC first operated out of members’ cars and dorm rooms before moving into a storage closet. In 2019, HSC moved to a new prayer space in a slightly bigger closet in the lobby near the entrance of Anabel Taylor Hall.
Due to the lack of a permanent location, challenges arose with the storage of HSC’s materials. Council members struggled to fit items into the small closet, often unintentionally breaking items due to the cramped conditions.
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“So [in] Hinduism, typically you would pray to an idol and you believe that god is within that idol as you pray,” said HSC Vice President Kamala Karuppiah ’26. “Some of the idols have been broken [because] we [had] to keep moving them. So when they break, it’s also not considered auspicious to pray to them.”
Despite previously working out of these cramped spaces, HSC organizes many events for students such as their Diwali and Holi celebrations. According to Prajapati, the latter is the second-largest outdoor event at Cornell after Slope Day.
Karuppiah explained how the new permanent space will allow Hindu students more flexibility in practicing their faith.
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“Everyone has a very different aspect of how they pray. You can pray at any time,” Karuppiah said. “So if we were to have a permanent Hindu prayer room, anybody could go pray whenever they want, [they will] not [have to be] dependent on an organization and [it will] cater to their customs.”
To furnish the prayer room with a temple space, HSC has embarked on a fundraising campaign with an end goal of raising $25,000. The money raised will fund a more permanent space furnished with a temple structure, prayer materials and traditional Hindu cultural idols for religious ceremonies. As of Oct. 28, they have raised $11,724.
“The prayer room is my safe space on campus. It reminds me of all of my favorite parts of growing up in the religion and culture,” said HSC advocacy chair Maaya Kanvar ’25. “I really wish I had this my freshman year, when a lot of us are still figuring out who we are and our support systems. It’s amazing how much change we have made as a board in the last four years.”
Student members have often asked the board why such a vibrant faith has operated out of closet-like spaces at such a large university, despite hosting major events for thousands of students.
“A lot of the community members mentioned their qualms with that,” Prajapati said. “They felt like they didn’t have that safe space because we were setting up shop in a room that belonged to another religious organization.”
Prajapati said that a lack of support from the administration has motivated HSC to prove a need for Hindu spaces on campus and look to outside sources for support.
“No matter how many students we get, I think the growth and interest of our club hasn’t really been matched by the resources that have been provided to us,” Prajapati said. “Our big mission is to show [the] administration that yes, we do have a need for all these resources.”
Already in contact with vendors in India, HSC plans to move swiftly to place orders and initiate construction once their fundraising goal is met. The organization aims to open the room during the upcoming Spring 2025 semester.
“The community of Hindu students on campus has grown immensely, especially from the start of this university,” Karuppiah said. “As the University progresses to accept more students and as the student body becomes more diverse, we would like to see that being catered [to].”