Temples as socio-cultural centres
By Trilochan Singh Trewn

THE Swaminarain temple near London is one the largest Hindu temples built abroad in modern times. Built at a cost of about $19 million, the complex stands amongst picturesque surroundings and is spread over several acres. This is the only traditional Hindu shrine in Europe that strictly follows the ancient temple architectural design or shilp-shastra. Burmese teak and English oak have been extensively used in this 102000 sq.ft. structure. Steel, however, has not been used steel at all in the construction. About 2800 tonne of Bulgarian limestone and 2000 tonne of Italian carrara marble, used in the temple, were shipped to India for cutting and carving it.

More than 1500 craftsmen worked at over 12 different sites in India to do carving work on the marble. More than 26,300 carved pieces, including intricately designed ceilings of Indian Ambaji marble, were shipped to London. The temple, an admirable piece of art, has been the vision of Swami Maharaj, the fifth spiritual successor of Lord Swaminarayan. Agile, active and eloquent, this 79-year-old Swami can speak on subjects of life and dharma for hours. He mostly speaks in Gujarati. The prayer hall of the temple can accommodate 2500 people.

The temple is managed by the Swaminarain Trust which is funded by private and public sources. The inner sanctum sanctorum, the prayer hall, Roop Chowk and an exhibition held the year round on Hinduism are the main attractions for the thousands of devotees and visitors who visit the temple daily.

A newly constructed community centre called Haveli adjoins the temple. The Haveli, which has exquisite wood work, has a library, dining halls, rest room and spacious halls for holding conferences and cultural activities like dance and drama. Regular Hindi and Sanskrit classes at the centre. All important Indian festivals are regularly celebrated in the temple complex. Tony Blair, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, as well as Prince Charles have visited the temple more than once and have admired the cultural heritage this unique temple represents.

Another large Indian temple that serves as a socio-cultural centre is found Sweden,where about 3000 people of Indian origin reside. As the Indians settled in Stockholm felt a need to have a temple there, they formed the Hindu Mandir Society for the purpose and in 1998 a readymade spacious structure was acquired at a cost of about Rs 4 crore. The Hindu Mandir, located near a lake, is surrounded by spacious lawns. A large hall in the temple houses the idols of Vishnu, Shiva, Durga, Ganesha and Surya.The temple has a library, rest rooms and a large kitchen. All important festivals of Sikhs and Hindus are jointly celebrated here. Sanskrit and Hindi classes are also held weekly at the temple, which has a full-time pujari, who belongs to Chandigarh. The temple functions more like a social and cultural centre for the entire Indian community. The Divali celebrations last year were attended by both Hindu and Sikh families, and local Swedish guests religions were also invited. Most Indians residing abroad like to have weekly get-togethers on the temple premises. This gives them an opportunity to meet their Indian friends and

relatives and helps them inculcate Indian sanskaras in their young children. Other temples that will function as socio-cultural centres are now under construction in London and in Paris, France.