Deities surround the diamonds and gold at Raj Jewels in Artesia, but few customers are interested in religious jewelry, according to owner Ravi Pattni. "The new generation want some new, different," he says. His biggest challenge as a jeweler is coming up with new creative designs to cater to his customers.

It was warm in Artesia, Calif. on Sunday, so I rolled down my windows. When I did, I heard distant drum beats. I hauled a U-turn in the middle of Pioneer Boulevard and ended up at the Shree Swaminarayan Temple, where drumbeats signaled a celebration for the coming of spring.