Hendricks Chapel at Syracuse University is excited to announce a new Hindu Chaplaincy and appoint Sanjay Mathur as the inaugural Hindu Chaplain.
“To welcome a Hindu Chaplaincy to Syracuse University is an occasion for tremendous celebration,” said the Rev. Brian Konkol, Dean of Hendricks Chapel. “I am grateful for the students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends who contributed to this historic moment. We at Hendricks Chapel are excited for Sanjay Mathur to join our diverse and dynamic team of chaplains, and I look forward to our shared future in service to our common good.”
The Hindu Student Association (HSA), one of twenty-five religious and spiritual life groups at Hendricks Chapel, was founded in 2018 and provided a strong foundation for a new Hindu Chaplaincy. Through the efforts of inaugural student president Akshay Bapat ’21, Associate Dean of Hendricks Chapel Rebecca Reed Kantrowitz, the late Anju Varshney, and Dr. Pramod Varshney, Distinguished Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science in the College of Engineering & Computer Science at Syracuse University, the HSA has grown significantly and now serves hundreds of students, faculty, staff, and alumni.
“I am truly delighted to learn that a Hindu chaplain is coming onboard at Hendricks Chapel. He will serve a large Hindu community at Syracuse University. It has been a longstanding need,” stated Dr. Varshney. “I would like to thank Dean Brian Konkol for recognizing this and for his vision to enhance Chapel offerings to include our Hindu student population.”
A founding board member of the North American Hindu Chaplains Association (NHCA), Sanjay Mathur is a national leader with strong ties to Central New York. In addition to serving as Hindu Chaplain for the Rochester Institute of Technology and University of Rochester, he has served as President in the past and is currently on the Board of Trustees for the Hindu Temple of Rochester (Rochester, New York), and is a sought-after speaker and teacher on spirituality and health.
“The addition of Chaplain Mathur is a meaningful step towards furthering HSA’s mission to foster a welcoming environment of Hindu spirituality on campus that supports the pursuit and practice of Dharma,” said Siya Kumar ‘24, the current president of the HSA and student of Public Health at Syracuse University. “We look forward to furthering our programs, resources, events, and support with the guidance of a professional who has ample experience and an even bigger heart.”
As the newest chaplain at Hendricks Chapel, Chaplain Mathur will partner with nine other chaplaincies to draw upon his traditions and practices to serve as a resource for the entire Syracuse University campus community. “I have the courage to work, persist, grow and inspire people in the Hindu tradition; to learn about reflective listening and compassionate care,” stated Chaplain Mathur.
To welcome Chaplain Mathur to Syracuse University, the Hindu Student Association will host a Ram Navami Pooja in Hendricks Chapel at 4:00pm on Friday, April 7th. Following the program, all members of the campus community are invited to a reception in the Noble Room at 5:30pm.
Pazhwak grew up in Northern Afghanistan and attended a Turkish school in his younger years before receiving a degree in Law and Political Science at Balkh University. Just after graduating, he entered the foreign service and trained in several countries including Hungary, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, United Arab Emirates, Bulgaria, and more.
