What was so special about Tukaram's thousand readings in New York that it's mentioned in the text?

The information in your question appears to be based on a misunderstanding of the text. The provided excerpts from Chapter 18 state that the God-devoted Tukaram performed a thousand readings "in solitude on Bhamchandra hill," not in New York. The source material makes no reference to New York or any location in America. The passage mentions this event to praise the indescribable sweetness of the divinely inspired book Tukaram read, which was so profound it inspired this dedicated devotional act on Bhamchandra hill.