Nepal Ghosh (centre) at the temple opening with Wagga Mayor Dallas Tout and MP Joe McGirr. Photo: Facebook.
The man behind Wagga Wagga’s first Hindu temple says the new place of worship could help the city attract and retain the skilled professionals it needs.
The temple, located on the Charles Sturt University (CSU) campus, was officially opened at a ceremony attended by more than 350 people last Saturday.
Wagga Hindu Temple Organisation president Nepal Ghosh, a 52-year-old accountant who moved to Wagga from Bangladesh 17 years ago, said the temple was a major milestone for the city’s Hindu community.
“There are almost 1000 Hindu people living in Wagga, and if we wanted to practise our religion, we had nowhere to go,” he said.
“We had to drive to Canberra, which was the nearest temple.”
Mr Ghosh said the project began last year when he approached Wagga Council.
“I went and visited Mayor Dallas Tout to see if I could get some help. I wanted a lease on some land, but council couldn’t offer anything and suggested I speak to CSU,” he said.
“I contacted CSU and negotiated with them. We did the paperwork, formed a not-for-profit association and by July they agreed that we could use their building for five years to establish Wagga’s first Hindu temple.”
Local women at the temple. Photo: Supplied.
The temple provides a place of worship and community for Wagga’s growing Hindu population, including people originally from India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Fiji.
Hinduism is one of the world’s largest religions, with about 1.2 billion followers worldwide.
“A lot of Hindu skilled professionals are living in Wagga,” Mr Ghosh said.
“You’ll find at least six engineers in council, several owners of hotels and petrol stations, at least 15 staff at CSU, as well as a lot of students.”
Mr Ghosh said having a temple could make a difference when skilled workers and their families considered whether to settle in regional Australia.
“Our parents in India and Bangladesh want us to move to a country where we can practise our religion,” he said.
“So this temple will help us retain Hindu people in our town.”
The current arrangement with CSU lasts for five years, but Mr Ghosh said his long-term goal was to establish a permanent temple elsewhere in Wagga.
“I have asked Wagga MP Joe McGirr to write to the NSW Government to see if there is some Crown land that could be used,” he said.
“I would prefer a central location if that’s possible.”
Nepal with his wife Dipa and children Neilarjo and Nirantak. Photo: Supplied.
The temple’s opening also comes as Wagga City Council considers whether the city needs dedicated infrastructure for its various faith communities.
Mayor Dallas Tout announced at the opening that the council had secured $100,000 to investigate the possibility of developing a faith precinct.
Mr Ghosh said the CSU temple would be about more than religious ceremonies.
“We will organise a Gita class on Saturday mornings, where children can study and discuss the Bhagavad Gita, an important Hindu scripture,” he said.
“We will organise a yoga class too.”
The temple will also be open throughout the week, with services and community activities planned around the needs of local worshippers.
Mr Ghosh said the temple would open from 6 to 8 pm on weekdays, as well as from 10 am to 8 pm on weekends, with an additional one-hour morning opening planned for weekdays.
Griffith’s Hindu community is working on establishing the town’s first temple on Sidlow Road.
