First Hindu temple in P.E.I. to open Friday

Prince Edward Island’s growing Hindu community finally has a place to come together and worship. The island’s first ever Hindu temple celebrates its official opening ceremony Friday in Cornwall.

Members of the Hindu community are making final preparations. That includes hours of prayers, with offerings to sanctify holy relics.

“It’s the ceremony where we are invoking life in these idols,” said Krishna Khakur, Hindu Society of P.E.I. president. “We are making them living gods or goddesses, and we are using Vedic mantras and rituals to do that.”

It's a place for prayer, but it will also be the centre of P.E.I.’s growing Hindu community, numbering in the hundreds. Indian immigrants are one of the largest groups coming to P.E.I.

“It’s very important because it gives us a place to come and meet the rest of the community and to pass on the legacy for my children and their children,” said Morina Sharma. “It’s a place they can come and learn.”

Though there are differences to the island’s historic religions, Protestantism and Catholicism, there are also many similarities, including the use of prayer beads.

“We believe that 108 times chanting god’s name will give you blessings,” said Nehru Dawar. “(It) will give you a lot of good prosperity and all.”

It’s a cultural hub, a place to share food, community and culture.

“It was something that was missing for a long time,” said Khakur. “I know many Hindu families have moved out of the island because they didn’t have a place to worship.”

He said it’s been decades in the making, seven months in the planning and two weeks of hard work at the temple to get to this point.

The first ever Hindu Temple on P.E.I. is celebrating its official grand opening Friday evening, but they’ll be open Saturday and Sunday evening, and are encouraging anyone who wants to learn more about Hindu culture to stop by.

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