Bharatiya Mandir, Auckland

About Bharatiya Mandir, Auckland

Bharatiya Mandir in Sandringham is the oldest purpose-built Hindu temple in New Zealand, opened in June 1993. Sandringham is known as Auckland's "Little India" for its many South Asian shops and restaurants, and the mandir is a landmark of the city's Hindu and Indian community.

Beyond daily worship, the mandir runs youth groups, education classes, a library, music, yoga, language and traditional dance classes, and a women's group. In 2016 it bought the neighbouring Balmoral Community Centre, which hosts community groups and events.

The mandir celebrates a very full festival calendar: Lohri, Makar Sankranti, Vasant Panchami and Saraswati Puja, Maha Shivaratri, Holika Dahan and Holi, Chaitra Navratri and Ugadi, Ram Navami, Hanuman Jayanti, Guru Purnima, Raksha Bandhan, Janmashtami, Ganesh Chaturthi, Sharad Navratri and Dussehra, Karwa Chauth, and the five days of Diwali from Dhanteras to Bhai Dooj, as well as Geeta Jayanti. Diwali is one of its busiest times of the year.

History

Plans for the temple began in 1986, led by Roshanlal Nauhria and a group of Hindu New Zealanders. The site was blessed by Sant Shri Morari Bapu on 29 October 1988, and the Bhoomi Puja (land purification) took place on 1 September 1991 before about 600 devotees, followed by the foundation ceremony with bricks donated by around 51 families. Members of the committee travelled to India with the architect to study temples and choose the murtis, and the mandir officially opened in June 1993.