Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Cardiff
Encyclopedia
Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Cardiff is a Swaminarayan temple located in the Grangetown
area of the capital city of Wales
, Cardiff
. It is the first and largest Hindu
temple in Wales and comes under the NarNarayan Dev Gadi
of the Swaminarayan Sampraday
.
. In 1993, it was moved across the road from the original temple site to the current site, replacing an old Irish club.
Between 2005 and 2007, the temple underwent major refurbishment work, at the cost of £700,000. This included installation of new marble idols in the temple, three white stone spires (The first on a Hindu temple in Wales), exterior in the style of a traditional Hindu temple and new classrooms and living quarters have been built. The three spires have been placed above three new altars inside the building - one for women, one for men, and one mixed. Half the original temple was brought down, and replaced. During this period, services took place in a temporary room downstairs while work was under way. Most of the funds for the refurbishment came from donations within the community. The temple also received a grant of £110,000 from the Welsh Assembly Government
for the repairs as well as to build disabled access to the temple.
struck Gujarat in 2001, devotees who originated from Gujarat collected £30,000 in just 3 days for victims. The temple priest immediately flew out to oversee relief work. Hundreds of bags of clothes were donated by the community and shipped to Bhuj
, the capital of Kutch district
, the epicenter of the earthquake. Similarly, later that year, when the September 11 attacks shook the world, the temple along with other religious establishments in Cardiff held a special service in memory of the people who died in the attack.
and the Millennium Stadium
to the temple. To promote secularism, representatives of other religions were invited to join in. The procession, which was shown live on the internet, was the culmination of a week of events, held to celebrate the redevelopment of the temple.
, Rhodri Morgan
visited the temple in 2008 to celebrate the occasion of Diwali
. Mr Morgan was given a tour of the newly refurbished temple. During his visit, Mr Morgan presented young boys with traditional new year’s day gifts (Bestu Varas), while young girls were given their gifts by Grangetown Councillor, Francesca Montemaggi. A musical performance was put up by the temple for the event and there was a highlight of the Diwali celebrations for guests, ending with the Aarti. The event was also attended by police students from the South Wales Police
, who wished to learn more about the Hindu religion and its customs.
Grangetown, Cardiff
Grangetown is a community in the south of Cardiff, capital of Wales. It is one of the largest districts in the south of the city and is bordered by Riverside, Canton and Butetown. The River Taff winds its way through the area...
area of the capital city of Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
. It is the first and largest Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
temple in Wales and comes under the NarNarayan Dev Gadi
NarNarayan Dev Gadi
The Naranarāyan Dēv Gadī , named after NarNarayan Dev, is one of the two Gadis that together form the Swaminarayan Sampraday. It is headquartered at the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Ahmedabad and controls the Uttar Vibhag....
of the Swaminarayan Sampraday
Swaminarayan Sampraday
Swaminarayan Sampraday , known previously as the Uddhav Sampraday, is a Hindu sect established by Swaminarayan...
.
History
It is the first Swaminarayan temple in Wales, purchased in 1979, being opened in 1982. Back then, the temple was located in a converted synagogueSynagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
. In 1993, it was moved across the road from the original temple site to the current site, replacing an old Irish club.
Refurbishment
Welsh Assembly Government
The Welsh Government is the devolved government of Wales. It is accountable to the National Assembly for Wales, the legislature which represents the interests of the people of Wales and makes laws for Wales...
for the repairs as well as to build disabled access to the temple.
Community spirit
The temple has been in the forefront in humanitarian activities. When an earthquake2001 Gujarat earthquake
The 2001 Gujarat earthquake occurred on January 26, 2001, India's 52nd Republic Day, at 08:46 AM local time and lasted for over two minutes. The epicentre was about 9 km south-southwest of the village of Chobari in Bhachau Taluka of Kutch District of Gujarat, India...
struck Gujarat in 2001, devotees who originated from Gujarat collected £30,000 in just 3 days for victims. The temple priest immediately flew out to oversee relief work. Hundreds of bags of clothes were donated by the community and shipped to Bhuj
Bhuj
Bhuj is a city and a municipality in Kachchh district in the state of Gujarat, India.-History:It was established by Rao Hamirji in 1510 and was made the state capital by Rao Khengarji I in 1549. Its foundation stone as state capital laid formally on Vikram Samvat 1604 Maagha 5th...
, the capital of Kutch district
Kutch District
Kutch district is a district of Gujarat state in western India. Covering an area of 45,652 km², it is the largest district of India....
, the epicenter of the earthquake. Similarly, later that year, when the September 11 attacks shook the world, the temple along with other religious establishments in Cardiff held a special service in memory of the people who died in the attack.
25th Anniversary celebrations
The refurbishment was completed in time for the 25th anniversary of the temple in 2007. The event was attended by Acharya Maharajshri Koshalendraprasadji Maharaj (spiritual head of the NarNarayan Dev Gadi), who installed the new idols in the temple. Around 3,000 people took part in a 1.6 mile long procession full of music, colour and dance through Cardiff to mark 25 years of the faith in the city. The procession went from the civic centre, past Cardiff CastleCardiff Castle
Cardiff Castle is a medieval castle and Victorian architecture Gothic revival mansion, transformed from a Norman keep erected over a Roman fort in the Castle Quarter of Cardiff, the capital of Wales. The Castle is a Grade I Listed Building.-The Roman fort:...
and the Millennium Stadium
Millennium Stadium
The Millennium Stadium is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital, Cardiff. It is the home of the Wales national rugby union team and also frequently stages games of the Wales national football team, but is also host to many other large scale events, such as the Super Special Stage...
to the temple. To promote secularism, representatives of other religions were invited to join in. The procession, which was shown live on the internet, was the culmination of a week of events, held to celebrate the redevelopment of the temple.
Diwali celebrations and visit by First Minister
First Minister for WalesFirst Minister for Wales
The First Minister of Wales is the leader of the Welsh Government, Wales' devolved administration, which was established in 1999. The First Minister is responsible for the exercise of functions by the Cabinet of the Welsh Government; policy development and coordination; relationships with the...
, Rhodri Morgan
Rhodri Morgan
Hywel Rhodri Morgan is a Welsh Labour politician who, as First Secretary for Wales, and subsequently First Minister, was leader of the Welsh Assembly Government from 2000 to 2009. A former leader of Welsh Labour, he was the Assembly Member for Cardiff West from 1999 to 2011...
visited the temple in 2008 to celebrate the occasion of Diwali
Diwali
Diwali or DeepavaliThe name of the festival in various regional languages include:, , , , , , , , , , , , , popularly known as the "festival of lights," is a festival celebrated between mid-October and mid-December for different reasons...
. Mr Morgan was given a tour of the newly refurbished temple. During his visit, Mr Morgan presented young boys with traditional new year’s day gifts (Bestu Varas), while young girls were given their gifts by Grangetown Councillor, Francesca Montemaggi. A musical performance was put up by the temple for the event and there was a highlight of the Diwali celebrations for guests, ending with the Aarti. The event was also attended by police students from the South Wales Police
South Wales Police
South Wales Police is one of the four territorial police forces in Wales. Its headquarters are based in Bridgend.Covering Wales' capital city, Cardiff, as well as Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil, Swansea, and the western South Wales Valleys, it is the largest police force in Wales in terms of population,...
, who wished to learn more about the Hindu religion and its customs.