Drive for prayer vessels

COMMUNITY members are undertaking a collection drive with a difference by gathering prayer vessels for Hindu worshippers who lost their homes in the April floods.

Manil Stubenvoll said they were collecting new and old lamps, brass or stainless steel trays, lotas (small, usually spherical water vessels made of brass or copper) and murthis or deities.

“These items are for flood victims in the Verulam area. Many lost all their belongings in their home. In some stances people were now having their homes rebuilt. We want to equip the families with something.

“We will take anything people can use to pray with. Someone from Johannesburg has offered to donate new lamps and the temple I attend in Pietermaritzburg is donating trays.

“There are people who have lamps they are not using. Instead of throwing them away, we are saying give them to us so we can give them to people who need them,” said Stubenvoll.

She said that they had received a number of framed pictures of different deities and that there was someone in Verulam who was assisting in Durban.

Stubenvoll said they were also collecting saries and punjabis and other clothing items people were happy to donate.

Krithieka Maharaj of Namaste Eastern Emporium in Hayfields in Pietermaritzburg, said the response this week has been phenomenal since she put out the appeal on social media.

“The victims in Verulam not only lost their homes, but lost their prayer places and temples. They have no lamps to light and items for prayer/ pooja.

“My shop is one of the collection points in Pietermaritzburg. I have received calls from as far as Cape Town, East London and Bloemfontein of people wanting to donate. People are actually couriering items. Lots of people have old lamps and statues.

“We’ve helped with food and clothing, but forgot that people need items to pray with and these items were also lacking,” said Maharaj.