Hindu temple appeal spreads worldwide (From Oxford Mail)

Hindu temple appeal spreads worldwide

1:42pm Thursday 27th August 2009

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HINDUS in Oxford are hoping Indians across Britain and the world will help raise the £2m they need for a new temple.

The group behind the Oxford Hindu Temple and Community Centre Project is renewing its fundraising appeal in the run-up the first anniversary of launching their campaign to build a place of worship in the city.

They said the city was in desperate need for its own temple because many Hindus currently travel to Reading, London or Birmingham to worship.

Since the launch on September 15 last year, the project has raised £10,000 and been awarded official charity status.

Fundraisers are now planning a special communal prayer session, which everyone is invited to, on Sunday, September 13, from 2.30-6.30pm at Kennington Village Centre, to celebrate their achievements so far.

There are about 5,000 Hindus in Oxfordshire, half of whom live in Oxford.

Project chairman Dr Gyan Gopal, from Abingdon, said: “We started off with zero money and now we have got 200 families who are members. It’s quite an achievement I think.

“We have got £10,000 from people contributing at our monthly prayer sessions which is almost double what we needed to become a registered charity.

“To celebrate, we will have a professional priest from Slough to lead the prayers and we will be singing Bhajans, Hindu hymns.

“Before that we will light a little fire and we will be reciting mantras from our ancient scriptures.”

Dr Gopal appealed to wealthy members of the Indian community to help make the project a reality.

He said: “Next year we are trying to raise the level of funding we attract.

“We want to go around the whole country and appeal to the wealthy Indian people for donations, even people in India. We might try to attract them by having their name emblazoned on the temple.

“To build the temple we need at least £2m and we are not going to find that from just the Hindus in the city.

“It has been a dream of mine for 25 years that we should have a temple here.”

Dr Gopal said ideally the temple would be built within the city limits and be big enough for a congregation of 200.

Hindus hold prayer sessions at various venues in the county on the second Sunday of every month between 2pm and 4.30pm.

For details of how to donate or for more information, visit oxfordhindutempleproject.org

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