Latest news with #HinduCommunity
SBS Australia
4 days ago
- Lifestyle
- SBS Australia
Oakville, NSW to become home to Australia's first Hindu school
Oakville, NSW to become home to Australia's first Hindu school Published 5 June 2025, 8:01 am Australia is becoming more religiously diverse; the 2021 census finding Hinduism is the third largest religion in Australia. But unlike other faiths, including Islam and Greek Orthodox, there's not yet a mainstream Hindu school. That's about to change — with a bold vision for a block of land in the suburb of Oakville, north-west of Sydney.
BBC News
4 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Hindu community petition to buy new Slough site
The Hindu community in Slough has started a petition in support of buying a new site "to build a foundation for the next generation".Wexham Court Parish Hall is one of the properties Slough Borough Council is looking to sell to help off its is not yet on the market, but the charity Jeeyar Educational Trust UK (JETUK), which supports Hindu projects around the world, is working with the community to make a purchase before it enters the competitive market. Slough Borough Council said it was unable to comment at this stage. Chandra Kondepudi started the petition, which closes on 13 June, to show support for a preferential sale of the building. "We want to build a foundation for the next generation, " he said. Mr Kondepudi said the community currently has no dedicated building, so they rent out schools and halls like Wexham Court Parish Hall for meetings and festivals. He said the aim for the building was to maintain the community's cultural roots, create language and Sanskrit workshops, and invest in young people. Krishna Madhusudhan is a parent of a young daughter and said it was important to him that she understood her cultural roots. "Children who are in touch with their cultural roots grow up with firm sense of identity, which is really important for their future," he parent, Dr Rajesh Gurrala, said social media and technology had played a role in disconnecting younger generations from their roots. He said: "If you have a community centre, apart from having a place of worship, we also plan to organise events on Hindu teachings."Annapurna Divvela said having a community building running workshops would be beneficial for his children, because they would be around other peers with similar backgrounds. You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
CBC
12-05-2025
- General
- CBC
‘I cannot possibly overstate its … role': St. John's Hindu Temple celebrates 30 years
The Hindu community would not have the connection it has today without its temple in the east end of St. John's, say its members. Consecrated in May 1995, the CBC's Henrike Wilhelm takes a look back at the community's beginnings in St. John's, the place of worship and how it's grown.
The Australian
11-05-2025
- Politics
- The Australian
‘Pahalgam attacks opened old wounds', says Australia's Kashmiri Hindus
You can now listen to The Australian's articles. Give us your feedback. You can now listen to The Australian's articles. Australia's Kashmiri Hindus say they long for peace and despise war, but they back measures to secure the safety of the violence-riddled region, saying a recent terror attack reopened wounds for the diaspora that had fled the region. On Sunday, India and Pakistan accused each other of 'violations' hours after the two nations said they had agreed to a ceasefire following days of cross-border military strikes, instigated after a deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam in April. Australia's Hindu leaders have called for 'unity and peace at home', pleading that the attack and conflict did not induce violence domestically. Kashmiri Hindus have said April's attack – where a group of militants killed 26 people, with survivors saying the attackers singled out Hindu men – reopened the tight-knit community's scars. 'When these kinds of (attacks) happen, everything becomes very raw,' said Sydney-based Anjali Bangroo Srivastava, who was born and raised in Kashmir before fleeing during the 1990 violence and exodus of the region's Hindus when she was 17 years old. She migrated to Sydney with her family almost a decade ago. 'It is like I'm getting wounded all over again,' Ms Srivastava said, recounting the targeting of Kashmiri Hindus and her family being told to either flee or renounce their religion, adding her parents were especially targeted given their then-store sold alcohol. 'That (the reopening of scars) is what happened with the Pahalgam attacks – when I heard the news, I was devastated,' she said, adding she 'couldn't sleep' in its aftermath. 'Especially with how (the militants) killed and targeted people, this is exactly what I saw when I left Kashmir – it took me back to the 1990s.' Ms Srivastava said Sydney's 'very strong' Kashmiri Hindu community totalled more than 150 families. 'We all met the next day … because if not, you're dealing with emotions alone and it becomes more difficult,' she said. 'Other people, not only from Kashmir, supported us and said 'We are here with you' – that made a difference.' Anjali Bangroo Srivastava. Picture: supplied Ms Srivastava said she was against war but questioned how long the region's Hindus would suffer amid the likelihood of future attacks, backing India's military attempts and calling it akin to protecting oneself if attacked. The leaders of the Hindu Council of Australia said the diaspora was in 'mourning' and April's attack struck at the community's heart. 'This grief knows no borders – this was not just an attack on individuals, it was an assault on faith, humanity, and peace-loving Hindus worldwide,' the council's vice-president, Surinder Jain, said, adding that members of Australia's Indian community had lost relatives in the attack. 'It's part of a long, troubling pattern – this was not the first attempt at Hindu genocide in Kashmir, but one in a series of violent efforts to erase the Hindu presence. Terrorism is not just India's problem – it is a threat to democracies and civil societies worldwide.' The council's president, Sai Paravastu, said the attack and violence cut to the heart of the diaspora. 'There are families here in Australia who received phone calls they will never forget,' he said. 'The pain has travelled thousands of kilometres – it is raw and real.' Mr Paravastu criticised media reporting of the attacks and urged for a greater focus on the plight of the Kashmiri Hindus, urging vigilance against 'ideological patterns' and efforts to safeguard social harmony. 'If we remain silent when terror is normalised elsewhere, it sends a dangerous message,' he said. Surinder Jain. Picture: Jane Dempster Sai Paravastu. Picture: John Feder Faith NSW chief executive Murray Norman – the organisation is a coalition of the state's faiths – urged harmony, saying the attacks didn't solely strike those in Kashmir. 'This is not just a regional conflict,' he said. 'Terrorism of this kind is a global death cult – it thrives in deception, celebrates violence, and threatens people who value life, freedom, and faith.' The fighting between India and Pakistan has been the worst military confrontation between the two rivals in decades, and started when India struck targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir in response to the deadly Pahalgam militant attack. Pakistan denies any involvement. India and Pakistan said they had agreed on a full and immediate ceasefire, but hours later residents in Indian-administered Kashmir reported hearing explosions and seeing flashes in the sky. The Pahalgam attack killed 26 people, with both India and Pakistan reporting deaths in the ensuing military responses. Alexi Demetriadi NSW Political Correspondent Alexi Demetriadi is The Australian's NSW Political Correspondent, covering state and federal politics, with a focus on social cohesion, anti-Semitism, extremism, and communities. @ADemetriadi Alexi Demetriadi
CBC
07-05-2025
- General
- CBC
'Centre of the orbit': St. John's Hindu Temple marks 30 years of bringing community together
The Hindu community in Newfoundland and Labrador is celebrating a special milestone Wednesday — marking three decades since its temple was consecrated on May 7, 1995. Ramachandran Venkatesan was among those involved in making the dream of a dedicated Hindu temple a reality — something he says was a big feat for a community that only counted about 100 families at the time. "People were elated," he said. "I mean, it was a big thing for us." It wasn't the first religious centre for Hindus in the metro area, who had started gathering at a house-turned-temple in neighbouring Mount Pearl in 1976. Yet, that building soon became too small to accommodate the growing community. That's why, in the early 1990s, they set out to find a new location, big enough to fit a larger temple. They were successful in the east end of St. John's, which was home to many community members already. In 1994, construction began, The following year, the new temple was consecrated. Another seven years later, in March 2002, the temple was completed with the addition of a spire and dome built by Eagle Fibreglass Products in Holyrood — an additional $100,000 cost. All that, said Venkatesan, was possible because of a small federal grant, and community members raising money — some even contributing by taking out personal loans. "It's a lot of work, a lot of thought, energy and money that goes into that," he said. "In the middle of the city, we were able to get such a nice building. So, we were all very happy." Ever since, said Venkatesan, the temple has served as both a religious and cultural hub for the Hindu community — helping pass traditions on to the next generations. "We gather and our children learn about our heritage and Hinduism," he said. "That's one of the main things the temple has been able to accomplish." Seshu Adluri is one of the volunteers making that possible. As the temple is without a dedicated priest, children lead the prayers — under the guidance of Adluri and others. "That's one of the ways in which the children get to learn the heritage and the traditions," he said. "And hopefully, they will carry it towards later on when they grow up, become adults and they have their families and they have something to fall back on. So far, it has worked very well." Beyond that, he said, the temple has also played a major role in providing a sense of community to newcomers. "Without this temple, it is difficult to imagine the community, Hindus, having a similar cohesion," said Adluri. "I cannot possibly overstate it. It's a very big role in keeping the community as a unit." It's something temple chair Jai Ragunathan has experienced first-hand. When he came to St. John's as a student from southern India in 1999, he hadn't travelled across his home country at that point, which encompasses many different ethnic groups and languages. With the St. John's temple being the only one in the province, he said, they all come together under one roof — a major difference from bigger urban centres, where each group often has its own temple. "I see all the people from all the regions of India displaying their culture, their food, their clothing," said Ragunathan. "I learned more about the culture in India after coming here. So, that meant a lot to me." During big community events, like the temple's popular St. John's Regatta food stall, they all pull together for the same cause. And the community continues to grow, Ragunathan says, thanks to an influx of international students and more job opportunities in the province. While the temple is able to accommodate everyone for the time being, the building is at capacity for most major festivals — like Diwali, which about 250 people attend every year. Going forward, Ragunathan hopes to bring them together by offering more non-religious activities, and making sure the temple is "not just a place for worship," but also a community centre. For Adluri, the temple's cultural and religious significance for the community hasn't changed over the past three decades — and he is certain it will continue for the years to come. "Whether everybody comes to the temple on Sundays or not, this is the centre of the orbit," he said. "This is a cornerstone … around which the community revolves."
