The plan to build the first Hindu temple in Cambridgeshire, Britain has suffered a major setback. The South Cambridgeshire District Council here has decided to give the land sought for the temple to a church-led project instead of giving it to a Hindu organization. This land will be given on lease for 999 years. In this project, along with the church, a place for namaz and an education center for the local Muslim community will also be built.
The local people of Northstow town had formed a charity named Hindu Samaj Northstow (HSN). This organization had proposed to build an interfaith and wellness center along with a Hindu temple on that land. But after the council examined the proposals, HSN was given 65% marks, while Northstow Church Network (NCN) got 81% marks. On this basis the land was given to NCN. NCN’s plan also includes a permanent Islamic prayer hall and education center for the local Muslim community. Northstow Muslim community says that more than 200 Muslims live in the city and they need a permanent place for prayers five times a day.
The local Hindu community is quite disappointed
The local Hindu community is quite disappointed with this decision. HSN President Aparna Nigam-Saxena said that she has questions on the transparency of this entire process. He says that the organization was given low marks due to poor financial records, but it was not told earlier that this would be such an important part of the evaluation. He said that if they had received clear guidelines in advance, they could have prepared all the necessary documents and the architect’s report. HSN is now considering appealing against this decision.
There are many churches and mosques in Cambridgeshire, but not a single Hindu temple. Hindu families living here have to travel about two hours to Birmingham or Wembley in London to perform puja. Due to lack of permanent temple, religious programs like Ganesh Utsav, Mahashivratri and Havan are not organized properly. Many times, puja idols have to be kept in bags or garages, due to which there is a risk of them getting damaged.
The new generation is moving away from culture.
16-year-old Ayva, who lives in Northstow, said that she had never participated in religious programs like Mahashivratri or Havan, which lasts all night. He says that his relatives living in India celebrate their festivals with full enthusiasm, but the new generation living in Britain is gradually moving away from their culture and religious traditions.
At the same time, council member Dr. Lisa Redrup defended the decision. He said that all the applications were evaluated on the basis of pre-determined rules and uniform criteria. According to him, it was necessary for every organization to give complete information about its project needs, financial preparation and religious requirements, and the final decision was taken on that basis.
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