About Asa'Mai Mandir | Afghan Hindu Association, Hicksville NY

From Kabul to Long Island

The story of Asa’Mai Mandir begins on the slopes of Koh-i-Asamai in Kabul, Afghanistan. For centuries, our families worshipped at the feet of Mata Asa, the goddess of hope, where an eternal flame has burned as a symbol of unwavering faith. When life led us from our ancestral home to the shores of Long Island, we carried that same sacred light—the Akhand Jyoti—within our hearts.

Founded by the Afghan Hindu Association, this temple in Hicksville is a testament to resilience and devotion. What started as a humble gathering of families has grown into a spiritual sanctuary for the entire Hindu community of New York. We built this home to serve as a bridge between our storied past in Kabul and the bright future of our children on Long Island.

Our mission is to preserve and practice the rich traditions of Hindu Dharma and Afghan Hindu heritage. We are dedicated to providing a sacred space for worship, fostering a sense of community service, and passing the timeless values of our ancestors to the next generation.

Our Heritage

Roots in Afghanistan

For thousands of years, the lands of today's Afghanistan were part of the wider Vedic and Hindu-Buddhist world. Many place names carry Sanskrit roots: Kabul from Kubha, Balkh from Bhalika, and Kandahar linked to ancient Gandhara. Archaeologists have found Hindu shrines and statues across the country, including the marble Ganesha of Gardez and a statue of Surya from Khair Khaneh near Kabul, and the Hindu Shahi kings ruled the Kabul Valley and Gandhara until the early 11th century.

The Legend of Asamai

Asamai takes her name from Asha, the goddess of hope and a form of Maa Durga. Her temple stands at the foot of Koh-i-Asamai, the mountain in the heart of Kabul, where an Akhand Jyoti is believed to have burned without interruption for centuries. For generations, Afghan Hindus climbed to the small shrine at the summit during Navratri, and Mata Asa was revered as the protector of Kabul and the family deity of the Hindu Shahi kings.

A Community of Traders

Afghan Hindus were a prosperous, deeply rooted community in Kabul, Kandahar and Jalalabad, known for trade and finance, textiles, dried fruit and Ayurvedic medicine. In Kabul's Sarai Shahzada, the country's main currency market, Hindu and Sikh merchants ran most of the exchange shops for decades.

A New Home in New York

Conflict and persecution in the late twentieth century led tens of thousands of Hindus and Sikhs to leave Afghanistan. Many families rebuilt their lives in New York, and through the Afghan Hindu Association they founded Asa'Mai Mandir in Hicksville, Long Island, carrying Mata Asa's flame to a new home and passing our traditions to the next generation.