Facade of the Hindu temple / CA
The Hindu Temple celebrates its tenth anniversary this year. Far away are the meetings in private homes that had a sacred book where even weddings and baptisms were held. The president of the community, Ramesh Chandiramani, recalls that the first house he met as a child was that of the Matani family, “in front of the Town Hall when the Gran Vía did not exist.”
Much has changed for the Hindu community over the years. The construction of the temple marked a before and after. Being advisor of Fomento, Nicolás Fernández Cucurull, the Hindus bet for the place that they offered to them in the Echegaray street at a symbolic price of one euro and for a period of 50 years through a concession. The economic contributions of the faithful and the Autonomous City allowed the place to take shape. Today it is the meeting point, prayer and prayer of the community but it is also a place of visit for other religions that come up there to meet the Hindus.
“The evolution has been very positive. We are fully integrated and our customs and festivities are known by the citizens, who also participate actively, “says Chandiramani, who says that” if not for the elderly who still wear typical clothing, Hindus go unnoticed day by day from the city”. And is that if for some thing stands out the Hindu collective is by its open character. Sample mixed marriages, mostly with Christians. Something unthinkable years ago. “In the 60s it was something inadmissible. Perhaps because of the fear of the unknown but today these marriages are normalized. “
The profile of the Hindu has also changed in these years. If the bazaars boomed in the 1990s with products imported from the Far East and attracted customers from the peninsula, today there are hardly two such stores, such as the one run by Ramesh in the Gallery Ibañez. Hindus have diversified and professionalized. Inheritors of those bazaars found Mary Sol stores or Nurishi imports. But without a doubt, the turning point is marked by higher education. “Access to the university of our young people has allowed Hindus in positions of responsibility and professions as doctors or lawyers,” explains Chandiramani, while remembering that when bazaars entered decadence with the entry of Spain into the European Union and The lowering of customs tariffs,
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the opening of the temple, this weekend community committee members have gathered to begin to outline the activities to be held in the month of June. There is still nothing closed but shuffle organized yoga workshops, sacred music and gastronomy, as well as guided tours to the time.