The first-ever South India-style Hindu temple in Atlantic Canada is coming to the Halifax area this fall.
The Atlantic Hindu Society (AHS) says it has been working towards the grand opening for years, from choosing the space to fundraising and contracting out the construction work.
“We initiated this project around seven years ago,” says Shaiju Ellickal, one of five directors who sits on the board of the AHS. “But we were looking for the right land, right space; everything is important for this project to start.”
On Sunday, about 300 members of Halifax’s Hindu community gathered at the future temple site in Spryfield to celebrate the ancient wedding of the Hindu god Shiva and his goddess wife, Parvati.
The spiritual marriage is just one of about 15 annual events that help fundraise for the temple.
“Initially we were a little skeptical but we were surprised with the amount of support we got. People just poured in,” society co-director Venkat Amarnath says.
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“We are almost there, at our fundraising goal…. We are at 90 per cent of it.”
The temple’s grand opening is set for October, when idols of the Hindu deities will arrive from India.
Two to six feet tall, the statues will make the journey across the Atlantic by ship before marking the completion of the temple.
“Our worship is idol worship,” AHS co-director Nalan Thirupathi says. “We are to supply them the specification, and they do all the carving in black stone.”
In the meantime, Thirupathi says the society plans to set up a temporary temple in about a month, while construction continues.
AHS volunteer Lavanya Rajagopalan is just one of many Indian Nova Scotians who have waited decades for a temple to be built in the municipality.
“That’s what I’ve been missing from day one, because as soon as I got married, I came here and for every festival we miss more — our wedding anniversary or our birthdays,” Rajagopalan says.
“Every festival we miss our South India-style Hindu temple, and especially after kids are born, we have to take them to India or we have to go to Toronto or Montreal to show them our structure.”
For volunteers like Rajagopalan, the hard work of establishing the temple is more than worth it.
Founder and co-director of the AHS Vijey Nathan says he’s seen the municipality’s Hindu population grow before his eyes, especially following the height of the pandemic.
“Nowadays, wherever you go there are a lot of Hindu people. It has increased dramatically in the last five years.”
Nathan says the temple will allow Hindus to practise their religion in Nova Scotia, which means more will choose to stay in the province.
“You have a temple here, you have groceries here, you have people here — stay here,” he says.
With the grand opening quickly approaching, Rajagopalan is giddy with excitement.
“Everyone is very happy,” she says. “We are overwhelmed with joy.”
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