Priyanca Radhakrishnan –
I often stand on the deck, coffee in hand, and admire the view.
Trees in the background, rooftops with congregations of birds in the foreground and from the middle rises a beautiful pristine white Temple Dome.
It is one of six marble Domes of the stunning Shri Ram Mandir in Henderson.
On Saturday June 13, 2015, I attended the grand opening of the Mandir and Community Centre along with Labour MPs Phil Goff and Phil Twyford.
Other Members of Parliament and a number of councillors, local board members and Chairs of various community groups were also there in support of the people behind this great Indian initiative.
Aesthetic Structure
The Temple construction has clearly taken a considerable amount of thought, time, effort and financial resourcing. Apart from the beauty of the Temple structure and the Deities resplendent on the first floor of the Mandir, what really struck me was that the Trustees have ensured that there is a lift for the elderly and those with physical disabilities.
Having grown up helping elders up and down flights of stairs in Temples, I was incredibly impressed that the trustees had thought of installing a lift!
Editor’s Note: There is a similar facility at the Shri Shirdi Sai Baba Sansthan in the Central Auckland Suburb of Onehunga.
Mutual Respect
The opening was led by Kaumātua from Te Whānau O Waipareira Trust and it was heart-warming to witness the acknowledgement of tangata whenua and the respect that each group had for the other’s cultures and traditions. There was some cross-cultural humour, however, when the kaumātua decided to hongi the Mandir Priest, much to the latter’s confusion!
Varied reactions
When I mentioned in passing to friends and acquaintances that I had attended the opening of the Mandir and attached community centre, their reactions were varied.
Some felt that pouring money into yet another Temple, when essential social services for our communities were increasingly losing their funding, was a travesty.
Others were excited that there was a place of worship for Hindus in West Auckland that was accessible to them and a space (the community centre) that could be used by various groups for weddings and other gatherings.
Personal dreams
On May 3, I attended the Maha Kumbabishegam of another new Temple, the Thiru Subramaniyar Aalayam in the South Auckland Suburb of Mangere. In both cases – Shri Ram Mandir and Thiru Subramaniyar Aalayam – the founders (respectively Pravin Kumar and Ilango Krishnamoorthy had dreamt of the establishment of the temples for years, and both were finally seeing their dreams come to fruition.
Again at both temple events, what really struck me was the rallying together of members of the community and the dedication of the founders/trustees and devotees.
Temple functions, especially inauguration ceremonies, often occur over weeks and sometime months. In both cases devotees flocked to the temples on all functions days – some of which, took place on bitterly cold evenings.
Port of call
There is a significant body of social science research that examines and explores the creation of places of worship and its role within the Indian Diaspora.
Places of worship play an important role in connecting members across generations, enhancing community wellbeing and development and allowing communities with spaces for religious, social and educational activities.
I have often been told that new migrants gravitate towards places of worship as their first port of call to in times of family emergencies, exploitative employment situations, survival strategies, to discuss problems and more generally, to seek guidance from those who have been in New Zealand longer. Provided those in such positions do not act as gatekeepers, temples and other places of worship have the potential to offer significant support.
I commend those who have been instrumental in the creation of both Temples for their dedication and wish them all the very best to ensure that these spaces continue to contribute to the wellbeing of our communities.
Priyanca Radhakrishnan is a strong advocate of ethnic and gender diversity in corporate governance and in public life. She is a Member of the Labour Party Policy Council and lives in Auckland.
