Conceptual illustration of ‘Hindu Temple and Community Centre’

London: When a Hindu charity learned it could bid for a piece of land allocated for faith/community use in the new town of Northstowe in Cambridgeshire, the 150 Indian-origin Hindu families living there were thrilled because there is no Hindu temple for 40 miles, leaving them and thousands of Indian-origin Hindus living around Cambridge working in tech, science, in hospitals and universities, and had no place to worship.Aparna Nigan-Saxena, project lead at Hindu Samaj Northstow (HSN), was shocked when she moved to Northstow and found no Hindu temple in the whole of Cambridgeshire. Hindu families initially met in each other’s gardens to celebrate festivals and now rent space, but many do not allow Hindu customs.“There are generations who are growing up without a place of worship or a proper connection to their culture and roots. Some elderly people wish to have a temple before they die. We want to be able to visit local schools because they go to churches and mosques but never to temples,” Nigan-Saxena said.A 0.25 hectare plot of land next to the lake owned by the developer is being given to the Council, which will give a 999-year lease at peppercorn rents (nominal, extremely low, or zero-value payments) to a faith/community group.Two bids were received – one by HSN and one by Northstowe Church Network in association with Northstowe Muslims, its proposed anchor tenant. The church offers a church, a hall used for Muslim Friday prayers, an Islamic prayer room for Islamic classes and daily prayers, a café, community space and gardens.

HSN proposes an interfaith, community and wellness center for 79% of the space, which would include a kitchen, café, STEM, coding and yoga classes, etc. and two prayer rooms which can be used by people of all religions. “There will be no Hindu deities in those two rooms because we know some religions don’t allow iconography,” Nigan-Saxena said. Hindu temple will be built on 21% space.There are already many churches and mosques nearby, he said.South Cambridgeshire District Council’s cabinet will decide in June who will be given the land. A public consultation, which has just concluded, will form the basis of their decision.But Nigan-Saxena is not happy with the assessment summary prepared by council officials which, he said, does not properly reflect the HSN proposal. Officials criticized HSN for failing to establish a financial track record, which they say would be impossible for a new organization like theirs. Officials also criticized HSN for not providing evidence of engagement with the broader community.Although three more plots of land will come up for bid in the future, HSN is intent on this. “For us, it’s really a wonderful piece of land because it’s located right next to a lake, which is auspicious.”“There is a real urgency behind our project. We don’t have close family here, so for small things like birthdays and anniversaries, it’s important for us to go to a place of worship,” he said.Revd Beth Cope, leading minister of the Northstow Church Network, told TOI that Hindus will be allowed to use its multi-purpose spaces for any purpose, including worship. “We celebrate that both organizations believe they are in a position to respond to the council’s tender opportunity,” Cope said.