London's Hindu community celebrates temple expansion

The facility has doubled its seating capacity to address overcrowding

Image | Neelam hindu temple

Caption: Neelam and Ashok Maden, who have lived in London since 1970, remember when there was only a couple dozen of Hindu families in the city. Due to the growth of the community, an expansion was needed to accommodate everyone during prayer service in the temple. (Sofia Rodriguez/CBC)

Hundreds of people gathered at London's Hindu temple in the city's east end to celebrate the facility's expansion.
Since the temple opened in 1990, the Hindu community in London has grown and overcrowding during prayer service had become a concern.
"We were at a point where the mandir (temple) would be full to capacity and devotees were forced to stand in the hallway, which would also overflow," said Mohan Merchea, president of the Hindu Cultural Centre.
In the span of almost two years, the community donated more than $1.3 million dollars to cover the cost of the expansion.

Image | hindu temple people

Caption: Hundreds of people gathered at the temple in the city's east end to celebrate the expansion. (Sofia Rodriguez/CBC)

"It's such a wonderful feeling to have this space," said Neelam Maden, who along with her husband Ashok have been attending service at the temple for more than two decades. "This is our place of worship, so this is a very important space to us."
"We appreciate all the work the community has been doing," she added.

Image | Garima Khare and Shikha Singh

Caption: Garima Khare and Shikha Singh say the expansion will allow them to continue to show their children their beliefs. (Sofia Rodriguez/CBC)

For Garima Khare and Shikha Singh, the expansion of the temple means they will always have a place to teach their children their beliefs.
"This was the first place we visited when we landed here in London to get morale and be able to bring our roots to a new place," said Singh, who arrived to London two years ago.
"A temple is a place which brings a community together and gives us a roof to practice our beliefs," she added. "This space is really important to all of us to allow us to pass it on to another generation."

Image | Dr. Mohan Merchea

Caption: Mohan Merchea, president of the Hindu Cultural Centre, says the Hindu population in London has increased tremendously in the last 30 years, making an expansion necessary. (Sofia Rodriguez/CBC)

The expansion project included doubling the prayer hall and dining room space as well as adding accessible features, such as ramps and an elevator.
"We are now in a better situation to provide services for over 1,000 Hindu families and in addition, approximately 5,000 international students at Western University and Fanshawe College," Merchea said.

Image | Budhendra Doobay idols

Caption: Budhendra Doobay from the Vishnu Mandir in Richmond Hill, Ont. blessed the occasion. (Sofia Rodriguez/CBC)