Day 2 of Mentor on Road, USA

"You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own soul."

Swami Vivekananda

Day 2 of ‘Mentor on Road USA’ dawned in Boston with my daily morning chores of yoga, walk, exercise and breakfast. We then immediately packed our bags and set off to our next stop, New York.

We stayed at Iselin in New Jersey so that we could cover the events of New York and New Jersey conveniently from the same point and save time.

The journey from Hartford to Iselin was pleasantly green, picturesque and delightful. We were eagerly looking forward to reaching our destination and start off with the events marked ahead. 

On our way to Iselin, we took a detour to Paterson great falls. The Great Falls of the Passaic River, as it is also referred to, is a prominent waterfall, 77 feet (23 m) high, on the Passaic River in the city of Paterson in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. We were surrounded by beautiful greenery.  It was a soothing experience to hear the water falling from a great height and splashing beautifully with the rocks. Also, we learned that the first industrialization process of USA was started from here by Alexander Hamilton in 1778.

In 1778, Alexander Hamilton visited the falls and was impressed by its potential for the industry. Later, he selected the site of the nation's first planned industrial city, which he called a "national manufactory".

Afterwards, we decided to stop by a roadside restaurant where we enjoyed a delicious South Indian lunch. Clearly, no matter where you are in the US, the availability of Indian food nowadays is not a problem.

We then visited the BAPS Swaminarayan mandir (Temple) in New Jersey. This mandir, like all other BAPS mandirs, is the epitome of volunteerism and serves as a symbol to show the value of sacrificing one’s time and efforts towards bettering the community. We were glad to witness a masterpiece of exquisite Indian design and workmanship and to take the blessings of God. We prayed for a smooth and safe journey ahead, as it has been till now. Overall, the feeling was majestic and we could feel the positive vibes of bliss all around.

Volunteers of all ages have devoted their time and resources assisting in the construction work, cleaning up the site, preparing food for all the artisans. A total of 4.7 million man hours were required by craftsman and volunteers to complete this BAPS mandir.

After reaching the destination, I quickly updated the presentations and e-mailed the outcomes of Mentor on Road's Boston events and next steps to all stakeholders.

Finally, after a long remarkable journey, we decided to take some rest. I am looking forward to early morning presentations in New York tomorrow at the 1776 startup accelerator and at the Queens Chamber of Commerce. 

1776 is an international startup incubator based in Washington, D.C. that scouts and funds high-growth startups in the US and internationally focused on solving societal challenges in sectors like education, energy, transportation and financial services.

106 years old, Queens Chamber engages their members and others through events and seminars. In 2016, they organized over 250 paid events and complimentary seminars throughout the Borough. They have achieved a membership level of 1,125 organizations; representing over 90,000 Queens-based employees.

Jai ho (Let victory be yours)!