Saving historic temple a wise decision

THE decision to keep open the historic Shri Luxmi Narayan Temple in Mobeni Heights must be hailed as a victory on several fronts. It firstly served to bring together two groups with widely differing views on the future of the temple. It was a victory for the sobering spirit of goodwill and compromise that prevailed in the negotiations and also served to reinforce a deep sense of pride in our history and religious and cultural heritage.

The 103-year-old temple, one of the oldest in the province, has had a long and proud history in the local community.

As some of the elders of the temple will recall, the original temple was built in Clairwood. When the apartheid government ordered its demolition in the 1970s to clear the way for the opening of the Southern Freeway, the congregants were shattered, but determined to keep the spirit and legacy of their historic institution alive.

And so they set about rebuilding the temple in Mobeni Heights, where it still stands as a prominent and respected landmark in the suburb.

The temple became a bone of contention after a proposal by some of its board members that the place of worship and adjoining hall be sold and moved to a different site in Chatsworth – which some congregants and elders vehemently opposed.

The board members who proposed moving the temple had valid concerns about the reduced numbers using the temple’s facilities and the safety of worshippers in the precinct.

However, those opposed to the move argued they were not properly consulted and were determined that the legacy of the temple had to be preserved

But all’s well that ends well and the SA Hindu Maha Sabha, under the leadership of Ashwin Trikamjee, deserve praise for the mediating role it played in bringing the two sides together and arranging for an association of interested persons to be formed to map out a solution.

Cool heads and frank dialogue was all that was needed for a positive outcome and it is hoped that this spirit of tolerance and conciliation will continue to prevail in all future deliberations.

Stopping the sale and relocation of the temple is, however, only the first step. The concerns over security and dwindling numbers still need to be addressed.

Saving this historic institution will be a hollow victory if people fail to support the temple and use its facilities more regularly in the future.