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News & Current Events Apr 4, 2026 at 3:42 AM

Workers carved the largest modern Hindu temple in the west. Now, some have incurable lung disease | New Jersey

Posted by Waterbottlekidz

Workers carved the largest modern Hindu temple in the west. Now, some have incurable lung disease
the Guardian
Workers carved the largest modern Hindu temple in the west. Now, some have incurable lung disease
Workers allege abuse, visa fraud and medical neglect during the New Jersey temple’s construction – and say two died from lung disease caused by inhaling silica dust
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boring_old_dad Apr 4, 2026 +949
Silicate lung disease is no joke
949
lemontreetops 6 days ago +456
I am a researcher who studied black lung in Appalachia’s coal mines. Silicosis and other preventable occupational diseases caused by exposure to dust is a terrible, terrible burden for workers. [And it’s increasing, too, in recent years because of outlaw operators.](https://carsey.unh.edu/publication/outlaw-operators) (this isn’t my research, but a good overview of how coal mines operators enable diseases like silicosis.)
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Ok_Complex8873 6 days ago +13
In your opinion when will USA ban glass wool used for insulation?
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citrablock 6 days ago +77
[https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/silicosis/learn-about-silicosis](https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/silicosis/learn-about-silicosis) > Approximately 2.3 million U.S. workers are exposed to silica in the workplace, including 2 million in construction and 300,000 in other industries.
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citrablock 6 days ago +23
Around a hundred US workers die of Silicosis annually.
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wizzard419 5 days ago +1
You hear of it a ton in contractors, but as they often are of varying legal status here, it goes massively unreported due to fears of getting deported.
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Stunning_Mast2001 Apr 4, 2026 +2596
Ever tried telling a construction worker to wear a mask? They laugh
2596
Twombls Apr 4, 2026 +969
Quartz counters are gonna be the next asbestos.
969
Solivaga Apr 4, 2026 +390
They already are in other countries
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DontDoomScroll Apr 4, 2026 +630
They already were before AD 77, when Pliny the Elder published "Natural History", of Roman Empire. >Persons polishing cinnabar in workshops tie on their face loose masks of bladder-skin, to prevent their inhaling the dust in breathing, which is very pernicious. Natural History book 33, XL. Don't get silicosis! Don't let foreign objects into your organs unless you truly desire so.
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propargyl Apr 4, 2026 +166
Cinnabar also called cinnabarite or mercurblende, is the bright [scarlet](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scarlet_(color)) to brick-red form of [mercury(II) sulfide](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_sulfide) (HgS). This is not silica.
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DontDoomScroll 6 days ago +173
Cinnabar also isn't quartz. Whatever stone you're cutting, we have understood that dust from stone cutting is hazardous to your health and avoidable for a very long time.
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espressocycle 6 days ago +28
No, but silicosis was documented in Roman times and also the Renaissance. Don't ask me for a source, I used to marry a silicosis lawsuit newsletter 25 years ago and I can't remember.
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propargyl 6 days ago +10
The Roman author Pliny the Elder described in his writings a linen cloth that was supposedly used by the ancient Greeks. Called “abestinon,” the incombustible fabric possessed the tantalizing ability to ward off magic spells. Years later, Pliny’s nephew took a more rational approach to the study of these ancient materials. He reported on a detrimental health condition among enslaved people who mined asbestos — and even discouraged the purchase of those who had worked in these mines, claiming they tended to “die young” from a range of lung ailments. [https://www.simmonsfirm.com/blog/history-of-asbestos-in-the-ancient-world/](https://www.simmonsfirm.com/blog/history-of-asbestos-in-the-ancient-world/)
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JackDraak 6 days ago +2
Artemis IV has entered the chat. "What's this about rock dust, now?"
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m00fster Apr 4, 2026 +55
So it’s not a Cinnabon counter..
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propargyl Apr 4, 2026 +35
People still carve cinnabar containers. That's nuts. That makes me mad. As a hatter. [https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/earth/geology/cinnabar.htm](https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/earth/geology/cinnabar.htm) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWsLB4Ho2s0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWsLB4Ho2s0)
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Frosty-Ad-2971 6 days ago +6
I think it’s already clear that Cinnabunging your lungs is also bad.
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TheOmCollector Apr 4, 2026 +6
I have a Cinnabon container but it’s not hand carved.
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candlesandfish Apr 4, 2026 +157
They’re banned in Australia already for this reason.
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Epic_Brunch 6 days ago +108
I used to work in a quartz countertop store. We had all the protective gear required for the manufacturers, but it never failed that would look out into the shop and one of them would have their respirator mask pulled off or someone because "it's too hot" or "it's just not comfortable". My boss would write them up for doing it, but they'd still do it anyway.  These were like 25 year old guys who believed they'd live forever basically. Good luck trying to get them to consider their long term health. 
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GoldenRamoth 6 days ago +46
As a DIY: aight it's a one time thing. As a multiple times a day for decades thing: big oof.
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Sn_Orpheus 6 days ago +20
Right up there with lawn guys working all day with no hearing protection.
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IMOBY_Edmonton 5 days ago +6
No hearing protection, no sun block, no hats, and your a p**** if you have water on you. I did all those things and was very unpopular with the rest of the crew. The boss would even demand people remove debris from the mowers while they were still on, because switching them off and on would "Waste gas."
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Sn_Orpheus 5 days ago +3
JFC, that sounds like a nightmare job. Glad you made it out unscathed.
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IMOBY_Edmonton 5 days ago +2
God awful job, and made it out unscathed, but also unpaid. He laid off the crew at the end of the workday and paid us half of what he owed us, then dissolved the company so we had no legal recourse.
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Mego1989 6 days ago +37
Silicosis is already a widespread problem in construction industries. You can get it from any cement or stone based material. Cutting tile and concrete are common causes.
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Splinterfight Apr 4, 2026 +69
They are the current asbestos, already banned in some places
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mr_misanthropic_bear 6 days ago +22
Working with them or having one in your home?
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[deleted] 6 days ago +6
[deleted]
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jason2354 6 days ago +2
Yeah, but I know where I have quartz and where I don’t. Buy an old house with asbestos and it can be hard to tell when you’re disturbing it.
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thegamenerd Apr 4, 2026 +20
I want a nice wooden butcher block counter, stone counters have never looked good to me. Someday Provided I ever own my own home
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Hardass_McBadCop 6 days ago +35
I like the idea of a butcher block counter, but I don't like the idea of it getting all cut up and then mixing meats & veg on it. I've always wondered about a stone countertop, with a cutout to place a butcher block in. You'd have to clean the cutout, but now you can flip & replace the butcher block part pretty easy.
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Ludwigofthepotatoppl 6 days ago +39
And you shouldn’t be cutting on stone anyway, or glass! Not because stone or glass *serving boards*—they’re for serving, not cutting!—might get damaged and put stuff in the food, but because they’ll f*** the edge of your knives. Had a friend whose mom used a glass serving board as a cutting board, her knives were ALWAYS dull as hell.
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Bagelsarenakeddonuts 6 days ago +22
I did this, don’t do it. The wood expands and contracts and it is nearly impossible to fully manage. It’s really cool for the first couple years, then it gets rough. Cracks, stains, mold. Much better off with some kind of synthetic or stone. Save the wood for bars or tables or something.
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SpringValleyTrash 6 days ago +20
The pizza shop I worked at had wood counters that lasted 40 years before we covered them with stainless steel in the 2000’s to give the place an updated look. The area where we cut the pies was the only really worn part but they looked great otherwise. Used hydrogen peroxide as a sanitizer. Health department never had an issue.
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Hardass_McBadCop 6 days ago +6
I mean, that's sorta the point, ain't it? That you can replace the board if needed. So you can maintain sanitary conditions by flipping it. You make the space a little larger than necessary and embed a gasket around the 3 - 4 edges. That allows for stopping things from pooling down underneath it and should allow for some expansion as well. You'd need to test it, but I think it could be done.
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Pseudoboss11 6 days ago +2
My sister has had them for 7 years, she hasn't had issues with them, though she maintains them well, oiling them every few months, keeping them clean and only using a specific cleaner on them. She's a*** like that, but she also loves how it looks.
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zapman449 6 days ago +15
Good news: butcher block is one of the cheapest options for counters. In the right kitchen they look great. Just… use real cutting boards on them for food prep… don’t do food prep directly on them
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Agitated_Ask_2575 6 days ago +5
No, I'm so skeeved out by my slumlord's counters, stainless steel for me please!
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thegamenerd 6 days ago +2
But my poor knives! lol Stainless steel is ok, it does have one up on being able to be cleaned though
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MedicineExtension925 Apr 4, 2026 +12
They are just a good way to break dishes with the slightest bump. So dumb.
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heavyonthahound 6 days ago +2
So is hardie board siding
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DontDoomScroll Apr 4, 2026 +433
That's a self breeding dynamic. The workers who protect their body are the butt of jokes and eventually leave
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A1sauc3d Apr 4, 2026 +247
I hate self destructive cultures like that. Where common sense safety measures get shit on to the point no one does it because they want to look cool. Just like skateboarders with helmets. They’re standard for like every other extreme sport like that, but skateboard culture decided they weren’t cool and so no one wears them, because apparently looking cool is more important than not getting brain damage. Can’t imagine working a job and intentionally not using proper PPE out of fear of people thinking it looked dorky. We’ll see who the loser when your body starts falling apart a decade from now lol
247
terry496 Apr 4, 2026 +72
This is unfortunately true. A lot of firefighters working at the 9/11 site after the towers came down would take off their PPE if a batallion chief walked over and didn't have anything on his face. No one wants to seem weak in front of a boss. It's deadly.
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I_love_pillows 6 days ago +66
Modern society has seriously misplaced priorities of appearance of masculinity over safety
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Padhome 6 days ago +26
Lolol look at how manly my man lungs are
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shawhtk 6 days ago +15
Modern society? Society has always been this way.
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thisvideoiswrong 6 days ago +5
How else do you convince a man to charge into a phalanx bristling with spears and covered in impenetrable shields? Oh, sorry, did you say *modern* society? My bad.
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willard_saf 6 days ago +16
They were also told the air was safe
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terry496 6 days ago +7
True. I was down there when Christy Whitman made that comment. (she was the EPA administrator under George Bush) I found out within a few hours that she lied, or someone lied to her. I had a Navy Buddy who was offshore and part of the team doing the air testing. He knew I was working at the site and contacted me with the actual information in the report.
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gmishaolem Apr 4, 2026 +45
It goes way beyond safety. I used to work at Hardee's, and they switched to crappier gloves that ripped like crazy if you put them on right after you washed your hands if your hands were even *slightly* still wet, so I started waving my hands in the air to dry them before putting on the gloves. Everyone else joked that I looked like I was trying to take off and fly and made fun of me for it, instead of noticing that I was the only one not ripping his gloves.
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Spire_Citron Apr 4, 2026 +81
That's why you need workplace safety rules with proper enforcement. Just because it's for their own safety doesn't mean workers can be relied on to make the right choice.
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MotherStabRabbit Apr 4, 2026 +67
My husband just kept reminding his glass shop coworkers that the glass dust they were inhaling was never going to leave their lungs. Before he showed up to shame them they would just seam (sand the edges) a piece of glass “really quick” without a mask all the time. Apparently his logic was strong enough to outweigh him being an annoying nag because they all wear masks now!
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1337duck Apr 4, 2026 +33
"Only a real man dies of easily preventable [diseases](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicosis)!"
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Zalveris 6 days ago +14
Toxic masculinity be like: destroy the physical and mental health of yourself and everyone around you for fake brownie points
14
Euler007 6 days ago +6
That's a corporate safety culture issue at the root. When you see people breaking safety rules get fired you quickly adjust. I was on a job fifteen years ago where they fired and entire crew of boilermakers because they found cigarette butts inside a storage tank (oil major company site, they don't mess around).
6
lowercaset Apr 4, 2026 +18
Ehh, maybe if they don't know hoe to jab back. Guy makes a joke about how the PPE makes you look like a p****, you snap back that after he dies at 45 you're gonna be balls deep in his wife's p**** every night, everyone moves on with their day. If you can't handle shit talking move to a company that doesn't allow it. They do exist.
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DeathUponIt 6 days ago +34
I work in construction and like to wear my PPE at all times when needed. I get made fun of by guys a decade younger than me that have nothing going for them yet… I have a family and want to always be there for my kids.
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wingspantt 6 days ago +31
A guy was working on removing paint from my house. "I'm not sure man but this section is old. Is there lead? Do you need a face mask?" He literally laughed, lit up a cigarette, and kept grinding down the paint into dust.
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c_b0t 6 days ago +15
We were getting our bathroom redone and we told the contractor that the floor tiles had asbestos and just to put new flooring over them. Apparently he forgot and when he noticed some water damage around the toilet, he proceeded to start ripping up the tiles. When we stopped him, he was unconcerned and willing to keep ripping them out. We had to bluntly tell him to stop and then called the state to come remove it all properly.
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NurseBetty Apr 4, 2026 +51
My work once did renovations, while we were open, including concrete grinding and cutting. We didn't even get blue face masks to keep the dust out while we had to work around the labourers. F*** I hate my work sometimes
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slothslothslothsloth Apr 4, 2026 +104
The people chosen to build this temple were from the lowest caste in india, and were basically used as slaves during construction. Chances are strong that they would not have been given any masks/respirators.
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[deleted] 6 days ago +6
[deleted]
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PrivateBozo 6 days ago +3
Think that thru.
3
daarthoffthegreat 6 days ago +37
It's not just construction workers. I spent the last 2 years handling all the inventory and safety logistics for a farm. I maintained a massive binder of SDS, read each one, and trained the team on them. There are a few chemicals in particular that scare the shit out of me, so I would retrain the team with decent frequency. We had a cleaner that I had trained them on that REALLY needs gloves and a respirator to handle. Multiple trainings telling these folks "look, this SDS literally has the line 'exporure to vapors can cause teeth to fall out followed by jawbone necrosis." F****** what. I seriously emphasized this as it is the wildest shit I've ever read in and SDS. I still had to tell people to put on a mask every single time they used it. I may have walked by someone already using a mask with it a half dozen times out of hundreds. The last time I gave that training (the 5th or 6th time) a bunch of workers got up in arms that we used such a dangerous chemical... Workers who had been through all of the previous trainings but I had still been forced to babysit and make sure they actually used PPE. People will think they're super tough until they realize their jaw could *actually* fall off, and maybe the guy who reads every SDS isn't just paranoid.
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Stunning_Mast2001 6 days ago +12
Your last bit is another thing I notice. You can warn people about something until you’re out of breath and then later they’ll say you never told them. So annoying… 
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Rowanana 6 days ago +4
What the f*** was the last time chemical that caused that? I've heard about it in ye olde matchstick makers, but can't imagine why white phosphorus would be on a modern farm...
4
daarthoffthegreat 6 days ago +4
I don't know what ingredient demands the warning, but that line is in the SDS for Uline Industrial Purple Cleaner and Degreaser.
4
hiimsubclavian 6 days ago +3
While I agree SDSes should be taken seriously, they tend to detail worst-case scenarios or extreme dosages. Hell, the SDS for table salt (NaCl) is like 10 pages long detailing skin irritation, vomiting, circulatory distress etc. I usually don't pay attention unless the stuff comes with GHS labels.
3
Fun-Aioli7998 6 days ago +14
I used to work at a large engineering firm that has a HUGE emphasis on safety (albeit after a couple stark disasters) and boy our subs hated that part of working with us.
14
didi0625 6 days ago +11
I work for a construction company in' Canada. If they don't wear a mask, we kick them out. Want a paycheck ? You have to wear it. Not that they like it.
11
Princess_Juggs 6 days ago +25
This line of snark is not applicable in this case. Please read up on the "volunteers" who actually built this temple and the controversy around it. Every upvote to your ignorant comment takes attention away from the actual victims of this organization.
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VirginiaLuthier 6 days ago +5
Or ear protection. For some reason they are ok with safety goggles, though
5
callme_blinktore 6 days ago +5
“DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG ITS BEEN SINCE COVID!?! WHY SHOULD I WEAR A STUPID F****** MASK” - Source, I had safety orientation last Friday and one of the Journeyman Plumbers said this. After the instructor said “it’s up to you, if you want to mask up around concrete work”
5
thecontempl8or 6 days ago +6
Its the machismo culture thats pervasice amongst them. Mixed with a heavy dose of ignorance and hate for anyone with an education giving them advice. I worked with mechanges who refused to take any safety measures. One of them bought a bike and refused to wear a helmet. Died of a fatal crash less than a month later.
6
ripyourlungsdave 6 days ago +5
And do you know why the lowly workers wound up with that mentality about safety regulation in their industry? Because their bosses have been mocking those exact same safety regulations since they were first being introduced when America was still doing its Upton Sinclair thing. So it wound up being part of the culture in most labor industries.
5
milenpatel 6 days ago +3
Exactly. It was literally written in the article that they said they didnt want to wear it
3
Ebmat 6 days ago +3
Yes they laugh. And some cough and laugh at the same time.
3
thedrew 6 days ago +3
I’ve never had that happen. I would fire anyone who refused to wear PPE. But I hire professionals. 
3
elinyera 6 days ago +2
It works offshore, in the energy industry where safety is a metric of success. Land jobs don't get the same oversight, though.
2
Sgt-Bilko1975 6 days ago +2
Because we keep protective cigarettes in our mouth while we grind concrete.
2
judgejuddhirsch 6 days ago +2
Ever try telling a police officer that either? They laugh Unless they are deporting brown people. Then they are fine with it.
2
possibly_on_meth 6 days ago +2
ICE Agents are not police officers.
2
SacredHaert 6 days ago +1
I wear my mask all the time. Your opinion is anecdotal at best.
1
Senior-Procedure-748 4 days ago +1
They laugh until they cough
1
Jedi_Tounges Apr 4, 2026 +1420
As an Indian, don't patronise this "temple". - it is deeply offensive, deifying their founders and is basically a cult. - they flew in labor and artisans from India, paid them Indian poverty wages - and worked them to the bone. When some died, they were buried at site. - read thr article, pls
1420
KyleAltNJRealtor 6 days ago +209
It’s really frustrating how many NJ influencers go here for content and leave out any of the negative aspects and highly recommend visiting.
209
1337duck 6 days ago +19
There's a real chance those influencers are young, dumb, and full of.. well, you know. They likely had no clue. I have no clue either about this other than it's built out of quartz.
19
cyberpunk6066 Apr 4, 2026 +252
and this was completely ignored by US politicians
252
CutieBoBootie 6 days ago +42
I'm an atheist but I would hope that modern Holy Buildings would not be places built through torture. (In my opinion slavery is torture)  I feel like that's the minimum standard to expect for any modern building, but especially one built for worship.
42
athenanon 6 days ago +13
Flying in labor to NJ with its unions means some palms were definitely greased.
13
HumanShadow 6 days ago +12
If anybody read the article they would see that they had religious exemptions.
12
orcawhales 6 days ago +9
any other deep dive articles?
9
Upballoon 6 days ago +28
Dude religion is a cult
28
CustodialApathy 6 days ago +31
No shit, however modern catholicism and or Islam and or Hinduism etc etc in NJ don't employ slave labor for building projects
31
Pi6 6 days ago +3
I mean, they still exploit both labor and tithers at an extraordinary level. Ain't no church hiring union labor. More likely they will underpay some struggling contractor who is somebody's cousin from their congregational leadership. Source: designed churches across the christian denominations early in my career as architectural designer and they are almost universally horrific, corrupt clients. Given the choice, I would rather work for sleazy developers in most cases. Also, an astonishing number of churches have a side hustle (main hustle) as sleazy developers and landlords. There is a decent chance that the shitty storefront church owns the entire shopping center. I saw it many times in my career.
3
Shaan_Don 5 days ago +2
BAPS is the worst I hated it growing up and still do
2
cabanayana Apr 4, 2026 +500
I used to go to a school owned by this cult, basically a massive money making scheme. I went to an assembly once, and it was all about how we can change our life insurance beneficiary to the temple. Religion is a scourge, and these guys are following a prosperity bible playbook.
500
Loud_Ninja2362 Apr 4, 2026 +176
Every aspect of this cult is fundamentally against Hinduism. It's just a Christian Megachurch wearing Hinduism as a skin.
176
drproc90 6 days ago +38
Reminds me of the hawks nest tunnel disaster. They had the option to do even the most basic measures like drilling through the quartz with "wet" drilling to reduce dust but f*** the workers profit was king.
38
lemontreetops 6 days ago +17
I came here to comment the same thing. The [hawks nest tunnel disaster](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawks_Nest_Tunnel_disaster) killed the majority of its workers within mere years of working on the project bc of silicosis deaths where they essentially suffocated to death. Not to mention major abuse and violence on the job. The company totally denied responsibility. Horrifying for Black miners.
17
Truth_and_nothingbut Apr 4, 2026 +388
Just a reminder that they also used forced labor, human trafficking, and slave wages to build it. So however beautiful it may look it was basically built on the backs of slaves that are now doing to die in the 21st century.
388
pribnow 6 days ago +35
my coworker was telling me about this place and she mentioned it was built by volunteers and my "oh man i cant imagine this was done ethically"-senses went off just from hearing her description of it and alas, there was something to it
35
nw342 Apr 4, 2026 +328
This temple is awful, they were basicly using slave labor to build it
328
dirtyshits Apr 4, 2026 +143
The whole swaminarayan motto is slave labor in the west at least. Same happened in the Bay Area. They got into a bunch of shit but of course barely anything came of it. Got a ton of wealth and power so they are good to roll. Literally would pay them Pennies to work and stay there.
143
Technical-Fly-6835 Apr 4, 2026 +89
What is the point of visiting temple, performing rituals etc if they can’t treat workers fairly and with respect.
89
laylowlazlo 6 days ago +39
Welcome to the Indian mindset
39
Ok_Ordinary6694 Apr 4, 2026 +155
Dalits get boned again. This sucks.
155
Ok-Grand-1492 6 days ago +33
"But abusing Dalits is part of our religion, so your ministerial exception laws mean it's okay!"
33
Feeling_Reindeer2599 Apr 4, 2026 +39
170 million Dalits. Incomprehensible.
39
Waterbottlekidz 6 days ago +12
The worst part is in Diasporas many people try to ensure things like this don't happen but are often met with push back from the Hinduvta crowd When the Coalition of Hindus of North America freaked out over the Toronto District School Board recognizing and trying to prevent caste based discrimination: [https://cohna.org/toronto-district-school-board-amends-caste-oppression-motion-and-resists-rush-to-racist-judgement-against-south-asians/](https://cohna.org/toronto-district-school-board-amends-caste-oppression-motion-and-resists-rush-to-racist-judgement-against-south-asians/)
12
bonzoboy2000 6 days ago +14
Sounds like a similar story to the workers on the tunnel connecting the New River in West Virginia, about 50 years ago.
14
plain_handle Apr 4, 2026 +34
Slave labour imported to the West. Stop this cancer before it spreads.
34
athenanon 6 days ago +4
It's a relapse. The fact that the bloodiest war in the country's history (and [arguably one of the bloodiest in human history](https://www.defencestreet.com/the-deadliest-wars-in-history/)) was fought to end this practice should clue people in to how seriously we *should* take modern human trafficking.
4
steathrazor Apr 4, 2026 +28
Paid in blood and others sacrifice
28
NoMayoForReal 6 days ago +21
It’s crazy that New Jersey allowed this to happen. No oversight.
21
CheezTips 6 days ago +4
NJ and OSHA fought them for years. The temple people used racism and religious persecution as defenses. It was in the papers all the time
4
Disused_Yeti 6 days ago +12
asserting a first amendment right to slave labor and deadly working conditions. don't give evangelicals any ideas
12
pangalacticcourier 6 days ago +8
Slave labor job had shoddy safety oversight? Shocked! I'm shocked, I tell you! I have a friend who was part of just *one* of the investigations into the labor violations surrounding this project. Things were so bad the State of NJ had to call in the feds.
8
Aikuma- 5 days ago +7
> The temple denies the allegations and asserts a ministerial exception, which is a first-amendment based legal doctrine that prevents courts from interfering with religious institutions’ employment decisions on “ministers” or equivalent responsibilities – such as teaching faith, leading workshops, or carrying out religious duties. What a load of bs
7
Healthy-Amoeba2296 Apr 4, 2026 +13
We've got one in PIttsburgh. I've met folks coming from India just to see it.
13
Wertiol123 6 days ago +2
Well, the one in Penn Hills is the one people come to see (and isn’t a BAPS temple, and isn’t built with slave labor). The BAPS temple in Coraopolis is (I think?) just a converted office building, although I haven’t been.
2
Princess_Juggs 6 days ago +2
Which is crazy to me because it's ugly as hell inside. All white repetitive carvings lit by fluorescents from the floor? Yuck.
2
NotaContributi0n 6 days ago +6
Have you actually been there or just seen the few poor quality pictures they put online?
6
Princess_Juggs 6 days ago +12
Yeah my family took me to visit and we walked around inside. It looks glorious on the outside but the interior design is just headache-inducing. Felt like I was in that weird room at the end of 2001: A Space Odyssey. The welcome center was nicer, all wood and dim lighting Edit: I got confused and thought the commenter above was talking about the temple in NJ, which people from India also go out of their way to visit now, for some reason.
12
BlueCyann 6 days ago +1
I've been there, years ago.
1
Busy-Peach5770 6 days ago +7
I hope the families get a hefty compensation
7
Pi6 6 days ago +5
Most of our monumental wonders are really monuments to cruelty, slavery, inequality, and oppression. That is why we must beware of the allure of classicalism - its large scale ornamental decadence has always come at a steep cost to human well-being. As an artist and architect I deeply love the craftsmanship and beauty of classicalism, but I know that on the scale of a large building or monument it inevitably signifies enormous economic injustice and labor exploitation, or at best, a less than humane allocation of taxpayer funds. Fascism and other authoritarian ideologies say in order to have "nice things", there must be inequality and exploitation, and historically that is true if by "nice" you mean "grandness and decadence to be inhabited primarily by the privileged," and flimsy shacks for the masses. Even with my love for the arts, Getting to visit a classically ornamented museum funded by billionaires or walk through and admire a neighborhood of lavish mansion rowhomes, or see a gorgeous cathedral, is not, in my estimation, good enough reason to suppress my own wages and impoverish millions. That beauty does not contribute to net human wellbeing and simply serves as spectacle to distract from our own oppression. The good thing is that construction technology has reached the point that a lot of lovely decorative elements can now increasingly be produced through automation at a more humane cost, but the unfortunate reality remains that ultraluxurious architecture will likely always be a hallmark of a sick society.
5
[deleted] Apr 4, 2026 +3
[deleted]
3
aguyfrom208 Apr 4, 2026 +2
New Jersey?
2
SigmoidSquare 6 days ago +1
Me, reading the headline: ohhhhh god it's silica AGAIN isn't it https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawks_Nest_Tunnel_disaster
1
Sunsetmargaritas 6 days ago +4
Vishnu is trying to tell them something. Wear a damn mask.
4
FreddyVanJeeze 6 days ago +4
Don't be fooled. This temple was built by a Hindu cult. A lot of Gujaratis are well aware of this cult and find this abhorrent. I'm not religious myself but I grew up religious and to watch people use it for their own gain, while committing crimes against humanity completely validates my feelings towards religion.
4
antaresiv Apr 4, 2026 +7
Must’ve been God’s will
7
captain_joe6 Apr 4, 2026 +46
Oh come on, at least get the religion right! “Must’ve have been gods’ will”
46
tpatel004 Apr 4, 2026 +22
In BAPS’s case it would be Bhagwan Swaminarayan, so single god would be appropriate too. Though both are correct
22
journeymanreddit Apr 4, 2026 +4
Various gods and goddesses' will.
4
Zealousideal_Egg5071 Apr 4, 2026 -1
This is one case I wish ICE would step in.
-1
Princess_Juggs 6 days ago +5
The only solution to human trafficking is more human trafficking, amirite?
5
[deleted] Apr 4, 2026 -6
[deleted]
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Truth_and_nothingbut Apr 4, 2026 +121
They utilized human trafficking, forced labor, and slave like wages to cut costs And I think you’re severely underestimating the amount of Hindus in America lol
121
KenUsimi Apr 4, 2026 +28
You’d be surprised- we’ve got quite a large population in the States, both newcomers and descendants who keep up the traditions. More than enough to finance something if they went at it the right way.
28
battleofflowers Apr 4, 2026 +10
There are millions of Hindus in America. Why do you think that's not "a lot?"
10
84theone 6 days ago +1
Because there also like a million Romani people and a million voodoo practitioners here. A few million people out of 340 million people is not really that many. Like people don’t thinks there’s a lot of Jews here either and there’s like 6 million of them here. It’s a big country
1
battleofflowers 6 days ago +4
Yes but Romani and voodoo people don't tend to cluster in high-paying careers like Indian Americans do.
4
Yogashoga 6 days ago +5
They paid $1.50 per hour to lower caste workers brought in from India under the guise of religious volunteering.
5
ratherbekayaking121 Apr 4, 2026 +4
It's beautiful on the inside. Just mesmerizing. And wild to see driving on the 71. 
4
2AXP21 Apr 4, 2026 +3
This one is in Jersey. Are you referencing the chino hills one ? which is also pretty mesmerizing
3
kingink502 6 days ago +1
Silicosis breathing all that dust
1
trellisHot 6 days ago +1
Wait wait wait wait, what does this mean for the acient peoples rock working? 
1
CheezTips 6 days ago +2
They died of other things before the rock dust got them. No antibiotics, remember?
2
VagabondReligion 6 days ago +1
Sounds like this whole temple was built on bad karma.
1
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