Europe’s largest Hindu temple opens in Britain

Europe’s largest Hindu temple has opened in Britain with elaborate rituals carried out by priests who travelled from India especially for the occasion.

The temple is in Birmingham and cost close to four million pounds, a sum that was paid for by a grant from the Millennium Fund in parts.

The huge temple stands on over 13 acres of what was previously waste and derelict ground, and the whole project has been in gestation since 1987. It was back then that the Black Country Development Corporation made the site available for this unique project.

More than 10,000 people attended the five-day long opening ceremony that culminated in the sanctification of the highly impressive temple. It is, in fact, built in the same style as the famous Tirupati Temple in India. The latter is, incidentally, the second richest religious institution in the world�the Vatican is, unsurprisingly, number one in that particular league table�and is one of the most revered temples in all of India.

The opening of the new temple is, of course, of great importance to Hindus everywhere, and, as Dr. V P Narayan Rao, chairman of the trustees of the temple said: "This is the fulfilment of a long-cherished dream, the end of a long road and the beginning of a new era, not just for those most closely involved with the temple project, but for every Hindu in the world".

The construction of the temple involved a blend of both ancient and modern techniques in its construction and included specific materials, such as imported granite, so that the vision of its creators could be realised to the full. The construction also involved scores of sculptors and artisans who travelled to Britain from India, bringing with them their unique skills.

They had to work almost non-stop on the intricate carvings of ancient Hindu Gods and Goddesses that decorate the temple walls, pillars and ceilings, to make sure that everything was completed by the scheduled time. It was a close-run thing, but they made it.

Now, the temple stands proud for all to see where many will come to worship in it, many more will simply come to marvel at it.

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