Poland to get a Hindu temple by August

Wednesday, June 09, 2010
Source: www.dnaindia.com

WARSAW, POLAND : A temple is being constructed in suburban Warsaw, capital of Poland. The Polish ministry of internal affairs and administration recently registered the proposed temple site as a holy shrine and cleared the decks for construction work to begin. The Indian Association of Poland (IAP), a community outfit behind the project, hopes to open the temple in August and call it the Hindu Bhavan.

IAP treasurer Pradeep Nayar said the money for the plot and the project came via donations from community members. “We are hoping that the temple sensitizes the community youth towards Indian tradition and customs,” said Motwani. “Having been born and brought up in Poland, many youngsters here are not exposed to Indian culture and religious practices. Once the temple is completed, we are hoping to bridge the gap,” she added.

The Indian community wants to use the place of worship as a tool to integrate with the Polish society. “We have plans to invite our Polish friends for Indian festivals and rituals,” Motwani said. Eighty-five Polish nationals support the initiative and have expressed willingness to become members of the Bhavan. For a place of worship to be registered as a holy shrine, MSWiA norms require the support of at least 100 people with Polish citizenship.