Dear Devotee,
Developing a superior Mandir fit for our future
In 1977 a group of Hindus came together with the mutual idea to celebrate Pujas and ultimately, encourage Hindu religious culture. They formed an association called Hindu Pragati Sangha to provide for devotees in and around London. Their aspirations were to foster religious practice and cultural traditions for succeeding generations.
Fundamental to this was having a place of worship. Since the Hindu Pragati Sangha’s establishment, Pujas have been celebrated in both community and school halls. However, in 1985 - with the help of the community – the long-held dream of a permanent place of worship began to manifest through the acquisition of freehold premises at 33 Rhonda Grove, London E3. The Mandir has proved its longevity as it – to this day – not only still provides a sense of identity, especially amongst the younger generation, but also a central place of worship. Here you will find devotees who can help, advise, or lend their support when times are difficult.
The Mandir allows families to come together - in the name of religious harmony – whilst providing opportunities to socialise and therefore, endorse and strengthen our sense of unity and community spirit. Newcomers frequently express their joy at the warmth within the caring welcome received at the Mandir. Furthermore, they find the Mandir offers a calming spiritual place for contemplation and reflection.
Nevertheless, and indeed due to its successes to date, the Mandir currently lacks the space and facilities required by our ever-growing congregation. To this end a proposal to demolish the existing structure in order to construct a new purpose-built Mandir was submitted to the local authority who have approved it and granted a “Full Planning Permission” on the 1st February 2006.
The new Mandir will allow us to support our community in the following areas:
• Arts/Cultural Events
• Wedding Ceremonies
• Education
• Daily Prayer Service
• Resident Priest
The plans for the new Mandir draw on traditional Indian Mandir architecture in expression and incorporate a simple palette of long life materials; the combination of which we anticipate will enhance the conservation area that the Mandir resides in. As devotees, our biggest challenge now is to raise the funds necessary to commence work on the newest Mandir in the heart of East London.
To this end we humbly invite donations - please help us mould the religious and cultural dreams for both current and future generations.
Please fill in the reply slip enclosed accompanying any amount of donation you feel able to contribute.
As always the Mandir extends its welcome to everyone and looks forward to seeing you and your families very soon.