Washington: Tulsi Gabbard, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to be the next intelligence chief, visited the Akshardham Temple in New Jersey and hailed it as a "timeless offering that will bring peace and joy to all".
"Words are not sufficient to describe the incredible product of the work of so many hands that came together in a spirit of love, kindness, and unity. That welcoming spirit is something I feel here, as I know millions of others do when they visit Akshardham. This is a timeless offering that will bring peace and joy to all who come,” Gabbard told a gathering of over 1,000 devotees in Robbinsville, New Jersey on Sunday.
After his stunning victory in November in the presidential elections, Trump nominated Gabbard as the Director of National Intelligence to oversee the functioning of 18 American intelligence agencies including the FBI and CIA.
In 2012, Gabbard became the first Hindu American to be elected to the US House of Representatives. In 2020, she did not run for Congress and, instead, made an unsuccessful bid in the Democratic Party’s presidential primary. In 2024, Gabbar, 43, joined the Republican Party.
"I’m grateful to be here with all of you, and my heart is warmed by this incredible welcome and celebration,” she said in her address at the Akshardham Temple, which was holding the 103rd birth anniversary celebrations of the late Pramukh Swami Maharaj, a spiritual leader.
“To be able to hear about the many thousands of hands and hearts that went into building this iconic temple, and to walk through and see the meaning behind every single one of those sculptures—both the magnificent and the small etchings of some of the most famous stories about Krishna and Arjuna from the Bhagavad Gita—was truly inspiring.
This place is special because of all of you, your hearts, and your prayers that bring us all together," Gabbard said. She offered flowers and prayers at the temple and later did a tour of the temple's art, architecture and cultural exhibits.
