Thoreau could have hardly imagined that within 150 years of his meditations, the waters of the Ganges in India would be mingled with waters of Walden to consecrate the temple of the Goddess Lakshmi in Ashland, Massachusetts, in 1989, and hundreds of temples across America.

Vasudha Narayanan, distinguished professor, University of Florida.

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

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