A spiritual oasis in chic Soho

Statues of Lord Ganesha (left), and Shirdi Sai Baba are seen at Broome Street Ganesha Temple in Manhattan, New York. — AP

ON Broome Street, in the heart of Manhattan’s fashionable Soho neighbourhood, a Hindu temple dedicated to the elephant-headed deity Ganesha is striving to develop its own sense of cool.

Its location allows it to draw guest teachers such as prominent spiritual author Deepak Chopra, and devotees – or at least influential fans – such as the actor Willem Dafoe, who was recently spotted wearing a Broome Street Ganesha T-shirt.