New Hindu temple opens in the heart of the community
Hundreds of people joined forces in August to celebrate the official opening of a new Hindu temple at Denham in Buckinghamshire
The 12-day cultural programme marked the completion of the first phase of a multi- million pound project to build a new main temple, headquarters, community hall and accommodation for the Anoopam Mission UK.
Much of the funding has come from the local Hindu community, many of whom have campaigned for more than seven years to win planning permission for the development on the 15-acre site.
The mission’s Bhavisha Tailor said: ”This is such a very important building for Hindus in and around the west of London. It has been a lot of hard work and it has taken so many years, that to have finally got there is unbelievable.
”Everyone has poured their hearts into this project, the support from the community has been wonderful. Even the builders who have been working on it tell us that the temple has such a different vibe, it is truly beautiful and such a peaceful place.”
Helping to provide funds in the shape of a loan for the first phase of the development has been Barclays, something which relationship director Eric Thetford says was a little different from the bank’s usual funding opportunities.
Thetford said: ”We became involved after their existing bank was unable to help and, from our perspective, it was a great example of a very different lend. The method of funding was unusual because, unlike a normal business which would be looking at generating income to pay off the loan, this project was about a religious community purely dependent on donations, which is very rare.
”It was a very nice project to be involved in. Not only will the temple and the buildings be around for a very long time, but they are also at the heart of the community, which is very important.”
Praising the bank’s support, Tailor said: ”Eric and his team were amazing. They understood our belief that the donations would come in from the community to repay the loan and we were right.
”This is such an important space for Hindus that everyone has come together and those who have money, as well as those who don’t, have all made donations. We have had children giving us their entire piggybanks of one and two pence pieces
business success
and the love that has poured into the project has been immense.”
In the lead-up to the celebrations, supporters of all ages donated their time, effort and skills to make the event as spectacular as possible.
Over the 12-day period, hundreds of people attended a series of events, including a special consecration ceremony and feast to celebrate the installation of the temple’s deities, which were first taken on a road tour of the local area.
Keen to stress that the temple is open to people of all faiths and for those simply seeking peace and quiet away from the stresses of daily life, Tailor added: ”Because the new building looks like a traditional temple and is also much larger, we have already started to see many more people coming to visit us from the surrounding areas, whereas beforehand they simply didn’t realise we were here.
”We welcome everyone who wants to visit and leave everything behind while they meditate or just sit peacefully.”
Anoopam Mission UK was established in 1978 and moved to the Denham site in 1981, purchasing a former old peoples’ home and transforming it into what the Mission described as a ”tranquil devotional haven”.
Although it served the community well, Tailor says that many people simply didn’t realise it was a Hindu temple because the building looked nothing like how most imagine a temple to be, and its size also limited the number of people who could attend ceremonies and events.
Strict planning regulations on the size of the new development mean that the next phase of the work will be the installation of an underground community hall, while further building work around the central courtyard area will include an administration centre.
Tailor says once the hall is completed, it will be
Barclays is a trading name of Barclays Bank PLC and its subsidiaries. Barclays Bank PLC is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority (Financial Services Register No 122702). Registered in England. Registered number is 1026167 with registered office at 1 Churchill Place, London E14 5HP. September 2015.
THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – SOLENT & SOUTH CENTRAL – SEPTEMBER 2015
developed as a cultural centre for all age groups, offering activities such as music, dancing, language and singing – ensuring that the Mission is a centrepiece of the local community for generations to come.
Anoopam Mission is committed to working in the areas of health, education, relief, rehabilitation, social welfare, spiritual and cultural activities. Its aim is to help those who need it most, without any discrimination of caste, creed, colour, gender or religion.
Details:
Anoopam Mission 01895-832709
amuk@anoopam.org www.anoopam.org
Eric Thetford
07775-545960 (mobile)
Eric.thetford@
barclays.com www.barclays.com
The views expressed in this article are the views of the author alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Barclays Bank PLC Group nor should they be taken as statements of policy or intent of the Barclays Bank PLC Group. The Barclays Bank PLC Group takes no responsibility for the veracity of information contained in the third part guides or articles and no warranties or undertakings of any kind, whether express or implied, regarding the accuracy or completeness of the information given. The Barclays Bank PLC Group takes no liability for the impact of any decisions made based on information contained and views expressed.
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