Woodbridge Mall, New Jersey, USA – a new boutique has opened in the popular NJ shopping center that caters to the spiritual communities of all traditions. “East meet West” is a unique place that offers an eclectic selection of spiritual items from all traditions, from Native American to Buddhist, to European Pagan. Such stores are not scarce in the West, however, rarely do these kinds of venues display or offer Hindu items. This is likely due to the fact that Hinduism, albeit a legitimate spiritual tradition, is more politically charged because unlike other traditions, there are nearly 1 billion of Hindus and a Hindu nationalist movement. I had a Hindu friend who once worked in a pagan store, all the employees were welcome to talk about their gods and beliefs, however, she was told she could not discuss Hinduism as this was considered "proselytizing"; you will notice many pagans feel threatened by the power and allure of Hinduism. But times are changing, and when I went inside I found several Hindu murtis and prayer flags. If you are ever in the Woodbridge Mall, you might want to stop in and take a look. The pictures are below.
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