Indian Community • New Jersey
Bihari Community in New Jersey
4,873 Hindi speakers in South Edison • 7,351 in Plainsboro–South Brunswick corridor • 13,501 in India Square, Jersey City • BJANA founded 1975 — 50 years of community leadership
Indian Community Guide → Indian Community in New Jersey → Bihari Community in New Jersey
Last updated: March 2026 • Full Indian Community guide for New Jersey →
Why Bihari Families Choose New Jersey
New Jersey is the birthplace of the American Bihari diaspora in the truest sense. BJANA chose Edison as its permanent home in 1975, making this metro the organizational center of Bihari life in North America for the entirety of the post-1965 immigration era. That founding decision shaped everything that followed.
The professional pull is specific and powerful. Central New Jersey’s pharmaceutical and technology corridor — Johnson & Johnson headquarters in New Brunswick, Sanofi’s campus in Bridgewater, major IT services firms in Piscataway and Iselin — draws exactly the kind of STEM-trained, educated immigrants who make up the Bihari professional wave. Rutgers University in Piscataway adds a research and academic draw. Companies in the Princeton Junction commuter corridor (South Brunswick, Plainsboro) have attracted thousands of Bihari tech and pharma workers who now form one of the densest North Indian professional communities in the country.
Edison is also home to Oak Tree Road — the densest concentration of South Asian businesses in the United States, with 400+ Indian restaurants, grocery stores, and service businesses within a few miles. When you need sattu flour for Chhath or mustard oil for cooking, you don’t order it online. And Mayor Sam Joshi and Edison Township officially support Chhath Puja at Papaianni Park every year — a level of civic recognition of the Bihari community’s presence that is unique in North America.
For newer arrivals, Jersey City’s India Square district offers the opposite entry point: high-density urban living, PATH train access to Manhattan, and 13,500+ Hindi-speaking neighbors within a single PUMA. The community has two distinct nodes — established families who own homes in Edison, and recent arrivals who rent in Jersey City and build from there.
Where Bihari Families Live in New Jersey
The community is concentrated in two geographic anchors — Edison’s Middlesex County corridor and the Jersey City / India Square district — with additional suburban growth in Plainsboro, Piscataway, Monroe, and Franklin Township.
Edison / Oak Tree Road Corridor — Cultural Capital
Edison Township is the organizational and cultural center of the NJ Bihari community. BJANA is headquartered at 6 Kilmer Road in Edison — the same address complex houses Guruji Ka Mandir and functions as the community’s primary gathering point. Oak Tree Road, running through South Edison into Iselin and Metuchen, is the commercial backbone: Apna Bazar, India Grocers, and Patel Brothers are all within a mile of each other. The South Edison / Metuchen PUMA has 4,873 Hindi speakers (ACS 2022). This is the neighborhood for established Bihari families — homeowners, 10–25 year residents, families with school-age children in some of NJ’s strongest public school districts. Chhath Puja happens here, at Papaianni Park, every October.
Plainsboro / South Brunswick — The Princeton Corridor
With 7,351 Hindi speakers (ACS 2022), the Plainsboro and South Brunswick PUMA is likely the second-largest concentration of Bihari-origin residents in NJ. Princeton Junction train access connects this corridor to NYC. The draw is the tech and pharma campuses that ring Route 1: software firms, biotech companies, and research institutions have recruited heavily from Bihar and UP. This area skews toward newer, higher-income arrivals — newer apartment complexes and townhome developments have replaced the older ranch-house pattern of Edison for this demographic.
Jersey City / India Square — Entry Point for New Arrivals
India Square at Journal Square (Newark Avenue, Jersey City) is the densest South Asian enclave in the Western Hemisphere — 13,501 Hindi speakers (ACS 2022) in a single PUMA. This is where many Bihari immigrants land first: high-density rental housing, PATH train access to Midtown Manhattan in 25 minutes, and a dozen North Indian restaurants and grocery stores within walking distance. Shree Siddhi Dham Mandir and other Hindu temples on Newark Avenue serve the community. The character here is different from Edison — more transient, more recent H-1B workers and new arrivals, more urban. Many Bihari families graduate from India Square to Edison once they have children and are ready to buy a home.
Piscataway & Monroe Township — University and Suburban Growth
Piscataway (4,216 Hindi speakers (ACS 2022)) anchors around Rutgers University — faculty, graduate students, and pharma workers at nearby Sanofi and J&J campuses settle here. Monroe Township, historically significant as the site of BJANA’s consecutive Chhath Puja celebrations at Thompson Park, has a growing Indian-American population that has been quietly expanding for a decade. Franklin Township and Hillsborough (3,517 Hindi speakers (ACS 2022)) round out the suburban growth corridor.
Bihari Community Organizations in New Jersey
Bihar Jharkhand Association of North America (BJANA)
Address: 6 Kilmer Rd, Edison, NJ 08817
Website: bjana.org | Email: contact@bjana.org
Social: @bjanaus on Facebook, Twitter/X, and Instagram
Status: 501(c)(3) nonprofit | Founded: 1975 | Membership: Free
BJANA is the oldest and most important Bihari organization in North America. Founded in 1975, it predates most Indian diaspora organizations in the US and has maintained its Edison headquarters continuously. Its service area covers New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut. Membership is free — there are no dues, no barriers to joining. For any newly arrived Bihari immigrant in NJ, this is the first call to make.
BJANA’s programming spans welfare (mobile clinic services in Bihar, youth scholarships, food donation programs) and cultural events (Makar Sankranti, Holi, Bihar Diwas on March 22, Diwali, and Chhath Puja as the marquee annual event). The 2025 Golden Jubilee Conclave — held May 24–25 at the Hyatt Regency in New Brunswick, attended by 700+ participants from North America, Europe, India, and Costa Rica — showcased the organization’s national reach, featuring speakers including Dr. Kris Singh (founder of Holtec International), Rohit Prasad (SVP Amazon, creator of Alexa), and Prof. Niraj Jha (Princeton University).
Current leadership (2024–2025): President Sanjeev Singh, Vice President Priti Kashyap, Treasurer Priya Ranjan.
Bhojpuriya and Awadhi Association of North America (BAANA)
Website: baanausa.org | Email: info@baanausa.org
Status: 501(c)(3) nonprofit | EIN: 83-1541155
BAANA covers the cultural geography of Bihar with precision — its mission explicitly names Bhojpur, Mithila, Magadh, Purvanchal, Awadh, and Santhal regions. It organizes events around Makar Sankranti, Holi, Bihar Diwas (March 22), Hartalika Teej, and an Annual Gala. The organization is headquartered in Plano, Texas, with primary chapters in DFW and Houston; no confirmed NJ chapter exists yet. NJ-area Biharis may connect with BAANA events virtually or travel for major gatherings.
Edison Hindi School (HindiUSA)
Address: John Adams Middle School, 1081 New Dover Road, Edison, NJ 08820
Phone: (718) 414-5429 | Website: hindiusa.org/Edison
Founded: 2005 | Size: 500+ students, 66 teachers, 45 volunteers
The Edison Hindi School is a practical anchor for Bihari families raising children in Central NJ. With 500+ students and classes serving multiple levels from primary through advanced, it is where Hindi-belt families — Bihari, Bhojpuri, Maithili — send their children for language and cultural continuity. The annual Mahotsav cultural celebration draws 1,500+ students performing traditional arts. Classes serve Edison, Piscataway, South Brunswick, North Brunswick, and Plainsboro.
Houses of Worship & Community Space
The Bihari community in NJ does not have a dedicated mandir built around Bihari traditions — which is actually consistent with the community’s religious identity. Chhath Puja, the defining Bihari religious observance, is celebrated outdoors at parks and lakes, not inside temples. The community participates in multi-community Hindu mandirs across Middlesex County.
BJANA Community Space / Guruji Ka Mandir — Edison
Address: 6 Kilmer Road, Edison, NJ 08817
Phone (Guruji Ka Mandir): (732) 739-7443 | Website: gurujikamandir.us
The 6 Kilmer Road address complex houses both BJANA’s organizational offices and Guruji Ka Mandir, a meditation and prayer facility established around 2007 in the Guruji devotional tradition. Weekly satsangs and langar (community meals with chai prasad) are open to all — no caste restrictions, no denominational barriers. For the Bihari community, this address is less a temple and more the closest thing to a community home base in Edison.
Chhath Puja at Papaianni Park — The True Community Gathering
Location: Papaianni Park, Edison, New Jersey
Organizer: Bihar Jharkhand Association of North America (BJANA)
Next Chhath Puja 2026: November 15, 2026
Chhath Puja at Papaianni Park is THE religious and cultural event of the year for Edison’s Bihari community. It is a four-day festival — Nahay Khay (ritual bath and vegetarian meal), Kharna (36-hour fast begins), Sandhya Arghya (sunset offering at the water), and Usha Arghya (sunrise offering, fast concluded). In 2024 and 2025, 40 Vratis undertook the sacred fast while 700–1,000+ community members attended. The ghat is decorated with banana stems and traditional lighting to recreate the riverbank atmosphere of Bihar. Edison Township under Mayor Sam Joshi officially provides the park facilities — civic recognition of the community’s scale that is unique in North America. When Sharda Sinha’s Chhath geet plays over the water, it genuinely feels like home.
India Square (Jersey City) Hindu Mandirs
Jersey City’s India Square district (Newark Avenue corridor) has multiple Hindu temples including Shree Siddhi Dham Mandir, Shri Hanumanji Temple, Shree Satyanarayan Dham, and Govinda Temple. These serve the broader North Indian community in the area, which includes a significant Bihari population among Jersey City’s 13,500+ Hindi speakers (ACS 2022).
Bihari Food & Grocery in New Jersey
Dedicated Bihari cuisine restaurants (serving litti chokha, sattu paratha, thekua, dal pittha) are rare across the US — and NJ is no exception. The community’s food identity is expressed most powerfully during Chhath Puja, when thekua and sattu are prepared communally, and at home, where litti chokha and sattu sharbat mark Bihar on the plate. Oak Tree Road’s unmatched concentration of Indian grocery stores makes sourcing every ingredient possible.
Nihari and Bihari — Authentic Bihari Kababs (Catering, Edison)
Location: Edison, NJ (home-based catering; no walk-in storefront)
Email: Nihariandbihari@gmail.com | Facebook: facebook.com/Nihariandbihari
Specialty: Authentic Bihari kababs; nihari (slow-cooked meat)
The only identified catering service in NJ specifically focused on Bihari cuisine. This is a home-based operation — reach out via Facebook or email for availability and ordering. It serves events, gatherings, and private catering rather than walk-in dining. For authentic Bihari kababs in the Edison area, this is the community’s go-to contact.
Apna Bazar Cash & Carry — Edison
Address: 1700 Oak Tree Rd, Edison, NJ 08820 (Sugartree Plaza)
Phone: (732) 603-9702 | Website: apnabazaredisonnj.com
Hours: Monday–Sunday, 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Extensive South Asian grocery including fresh produce, dals, spices, savory snacks, and meal kits. For sattu flour (the defining Bihari pantry ingredient) and mustard oil, call ahead to confirm current stock: (732) 603-9702.
India Grocers — Edison
Address: 1665 Oak Tree Rd, Edison, NJ 08820
Phone: (732) 243-9999 | Website: indiagrocersnj.com
Hours: Monday–Sunday, 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Claims the widest variety of South Asian grocery in the tri-state area — fresh vegetables, dals, spices, snacks, rice, atta, and Indian utensils. Likely to carry sattu flour given the breadth of North Indian inventory, but call ahead to confirm.
Patel Brothers — Edison
Address: 1681 Oak Tree Road, Edison, NJ
Website: patelbros.com
America’s largest Indian grocery chain nationally stocks sattu (roasted gram flour), chana dal, mustard oil (Kachi Ghani), and other Bihari pantry staples. The Edison location on Oak Tree Road is one of the busiest in the chain. Patel Brothers is also present in India Square (Jersey City) on Newark Avenue.
Bihari pantry essentials available on Oak Tree Road: sattu (roasted chana flour), mustard oil (Kachi Ghani brand), chana dal, wheat flour and jaggery (for thekua), maize flour, and standard festival ingredients. During Chhath season (October–November), thekua ingredients are especially well-stocked.
Language & Heritage Schools
Bihar is linguistically diverse — Bhojpuri (spoken in western Bihar and eastern UP), Maithili (northern Bihar and the Mithila region), and standard Hindi are the primary languages of the NJ Bihari diaspora. All are classified under “Hindi” in US Census data, which makes precise counts impossible but confirms the community’s large footprint in Hindi-speaker PUMA data across Middlesex County.
- Edison Hindi School (HindiUSA) — John Adams Middle School, 1081 New Dover Road, Edison, NJ 08820. Phone: (718) 414-5429. Website: hindiusa.org/Edison. 500+ students, 66 teachers; classes from primary through advanced. Annual Mahotsav cultural celebration with 1,500+ participants. Founded 2005. Serves Edison, Piscataway, South Brunswick, North Brunswick, Plainsboro.
- BJANA Youth Programs — BJANA’s annual events (Makar Sankranti, Holi, Chhath Puja) are the primary venues for passing Bhojpuri cultural traditions to the second generation. Chhath Puja at Papaianni Park specifically involves children learning geet (devotional songs), rituals, and preparing traditional prasad (thekua).
- Bhojpuri language resources — Bhojpuri-language music is widely accessible (YouTube, streaming platforms) — Pawan Singh, Khesari Lal Yadav, and Dinesh Lal Yadav “Nirahua” are major contemporary artists. The late Sharda Sinha’s Chhath geet recordings are played at every community gathering. Bidesia, the Bihari folk theater tradition exploring the experience of migration, has deep resonance for the diaspora.
Arts, Culture & Community Events
Chhath Puja — Papaianni Park, Edison (Annual, October/November)
Chhath is unlike any other festival in the Indian immigrant calendar. No other Indian community celebrates it with this intensity — the 36-hour fast, the outdoor ghat worship at sunrise and sunset, the preparation of thekua and sattu prasad, the singing of Chhath geet. It is exclusively a Bihar and eastern UP tradition. In Edison, 700–1,000+ community members gather each year at Papaianni Park for a ceremony that requires a water body and open sky. The event recreates the Ganges ghat atmosphere in New Jersey with banana stem decorations, diyas floating on the water, and Sharda Sinha’s voice over the park. Chhath Puja 2026 is scheduled for November 15, 2026.
Madhubani Art — Bihar’s Global Cultural Export
Madhubani painting (from Bihar’s Mithila region) is one of the most globally recognized Indian folk art traditions — vivid geometric patterns depicting mythology, nature, and social life, traditionally painted by women. BJANA’s 2025 Golden Jubilee featured a dedicated Madhubani art exhibition alongside a Sohrai art exhibition (traditional tribal paintings from Jharkhand). These exhibitions are growing in visibility within the NJ Bihari community as second-generation identity markers. Madhubani workshops and art classes are increasingly part of BJANA’s cultural programming.
BJANA Annual Cultural Calendar
BJANA organizes the full annual Bihari cultural calendar in the tri-state area: Makar Sankranti (January/February, celebrating the sun’s northward journey), Holi (with Bhojpuri folk music), Bihar Diwas on March 22 (Bihar’s statehood anniversary — a diaspora pride event), Diwali (at Papaianni Park, Edison, with Edison Township support), and Chhath Puja as the marquee event. Major conferences like the Golden Jubilee Conclave (May 2025, Hyatt Regency New Brunswick, 700+ attendees) bring Bihari leaders from across North America for professional summits, healthcare panels, and cultural celebrations.
Data Sources
U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2022 5-Year Estimates) • Community organization websites and direct verification • Local school district enrollment data • Zillow and Apartments.com (rent estimates) • Glassdoor and BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (salary data) • Redfin (home price data). Community population estimates reflect available Census language data combined with organization-reported figures. Read our full research methodology →