First year anniversary celebration takes place at Athlone Hindu temple
The first anniversary of the Maha Kumbhabhishekam (Consecration) of the Ireland Murugan Temple in Monksland was held recently.
During the event a special Pooja (Prayer Service) was conducted by the Temple Priest and all the devotees were provided with Maha Prasadam.
It is the first Murugan Temple in Ireland and the first Hindu Temple outside of Dublin.
The anniversary celebration saw more than 200 devotees join in celebration, coming from all over the island of Ireland, with a significant representation from Northern Ireland as well as participation through live stream which carried on throughout the celebration.
As part of this anniversary celebration, the Temple's youth group members performed the Bharatanatyam dance and sang Carnatic music songs, in an effort to highlight the rich culture and heritage of the Hindu community.
Speaking at the celebration, Kandee Singham, founder of the Ireland Murugan Temple said: "This event was a great opportunity for all the Temple devotees to come together as a community and create a further unity amongst the Hindu and wider communities".
He added: “We were delighted to be joined by a diverse congregation on the day, these events are vital in providing a welcome space for all communities who are interested, or curious about the Hindu traditions and culture”.
After the cultural event traditional food was distributed to all the devotees.
Local resident and CEO of Involve Youth and Community Services Michael Power attended the event and said: “It was a wonderful experience to be invited to join this celebration, the community is a warm and welcoming one and I have gained a wealth of understanding of the Hindu culture; well done to Kandee and his volunteers for organising this event”
Ireland Murugan Temple is a non-profit organisation with charitable status, for more information on the Murugan Temple and the services it offers, visit www.murugan.ie or check out the Facebook page.
The temple is located at Unit 1 Nestor’s Business Complex, Monksland, Athlone