Johannesburg:
The largest Hindu temple and the cultural complex in the Southern Hemisphere appeared on Johannesburg Sunday with dozens of faithful who participate in a ceremony to mark the occasion.
Although less than two percent of South Africans identify as Hindu, it is the most followed religion among the Indian community of the country.
The crowds of faithful arrived before dawn to participate in consecration rituals, which was directed by the spiritual leader of Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushotam Swaminarayan Sanstha (Baps) denomination, Mahant Swami Maharaj, 92, who traveled from India for the occasion.
Baps wants the site to become a “destination for intercultural and inter -religious dialogue and exchange,” said spokesman Hemang Desai to AFP.
“It is a place to meet and communicate, establish contacts, but above all prayer,” he said.
Baps has described the temple as “the largest Hindu cultural complex in the southern hemisphere” on its Facebook page.
Before the opening, dozens of monks led the Nagar Yatra procession in Johannesburg on Saturday with devotional music by bands and marching dancers.
The site was chosen due to the great followers who are already in Johannesburg, as well as “a large influx of expatriate Hindus” who move to the region from other parts of the country, Desai said.
The temple will organize a variety of art, dance, language and faith courses in several languages spoken by the community in South Africa, as well as the beneficial organizations of houses.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and was automatically generated from a union feed).
By
