South Australia Hindu Temple plans $600,000 expansion

From our Correspondent

Shri Ganesha Temple (SGT) in Adelaide’s southern suburb Oaklands Park in South Australia is reportedly planning a $600,000 expansion to host bigger events, weddings, classes, etc.

This Temple, built at the site of a former Lutheran Church, has approached City of Marion regarding this project and City’s Development Assessment Panel, whose task is to assess proposed development, will consider its proposals, reports suggest.

Expansion plans at SGT, a State Heritage Place, reportedly include building an outdoor cooking area, dining room extension, etc.

Meanwhile, distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada today, urged South Australia and Australia governments to provide generous grants for upgrades of this Temple so that it could accommodate the growing Hindu community effectively.

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, commended efforts of Temple leaders and area community towards running this Hindu temple complex.

Rajan Zed further said that it was important to pass on Hindu spirituality, concepts and traditions to coming generations amidst so many distractions in the consumerist society and hoped that this Temple would help in this direction. Zed stressed that instead of running after materialism; we should focus on inner search and realization of Self and work towards achieving moksh (liberation), which was the goal of Hinduism.

SGT, reportedly conceived by the Hindu Society of South Australia in 1985 and formally opened in 2001, serves over 20,000 Hindus; including immigrants from India, Mauritius, South Africa, Fiji, Trinidad, Sri Lanka, Guyana, Surinam, Malaysia, etc.; besides students. Ganesha is the presiding deity at the Temple, where other deities include Laxmi Narayan; Durga, Laxmi and Saraswati; Muruga Valli and Deivanai; Hanuman; Bhairava; Navagraha; and Shiva Linga.

This Temple, which opens daily; besides offering worship services and being a social gathering place; also holds various festivals, satsangs, pujas; runs a children library; undertakes various community assistance programs; organizes blood donation campaigns; helps new migrants; and offers food donations and educational scholarships. It organized over 80 festivals in 2015. Milk Abhishekam here costs $50, reports indicate.

Siva Selvakulalingam, Kewal Suri and Usha Rajagopalan are President, Vice President and Secretary respectively of SGT; while Skandarajah Kurukkal and Ashok Sharma are Chief Priest and Assistant Priest.

Oaklands Park in the City of Marion is best known for Westfield Marion shopping complex. Kris Hanna is Mayor of the City of Marion, while Gavin Lloyd-Jones is the Presiding Member of Marion’s Development Assessment Panel.