Burnaby will soon be home to one of North America’s largest Hindu temples.
A fundraiser held last weekend at Fraserview Banquet Hall in Vancouver secured over $800,000 in donations to support the construction of the new temple, which is said to be at 75 per cent completion currently.
“The fundraiser was the best fundraiser we’ve ever had,” said Vanita Puri, vice-president of the Burnaby Temple board of directors. “People were very courteous and their generosity was excellent!”
The new Hindu Temple Burnaby, or Hindu Cultural Society and Community Centre of B.C., will be located at 5420 Marine Dr., and is expected to be well over 31, 000 square feet when complete.
Puri says the decision to build such a large temple came when the congregation realized they had outgrown the location of their current Burnaby temple, a much smaller space at 3885 Albert St.
“In the beginning when we had that temple – in the early '70s – at that time, the community was very small. This will be the biggest temple, where we can do all the ceremonies, like weddings and concerts,” she said.
The new building’s prayer hall will accommodate 800 people. The dining room will seat another 800 guests. It will also provide educational services, such as Ganesh Hindi School, and resources for seniors. Puri hopes to see the temple open for all devotees sometime this year.
“You have to have hope when you’re doing a charitable thing – so by the grace of God, if everything goes right, it will be completed by the end of the year.”
A picnic in support of the temple will take place on July 31 at Burnaby Fraser Foreshore Park.
