Ceremony marks temple site

Religious leaders came from around the country for the ceremony

Hindus in West Sussex have celebrated the sanctification of land for a new temple.

Religious leaders from around the country joined politicians and Crawley's Hindu community for the Bhumi Pujan ceremony.

The ritual, which has to be carried out before building work can begin, allows a demon believed by Hindus to live in the earth and the building's inhabitants to co-exist in peace.

The three-acre site at Apple Tree Farm, Ifield, will house the new Sanatan Mandir and community centre, due for completion in 2006.

The Bhumi Pujan ceremony, seen for the first time by many people present, marked the end of a 30-year campaign to have the temple built there.

Much of the temple will be built in hand-carved Indian marble

Jadish Shanker, of the Gurjar Hindu Union, said: "It's the purification of the land - it's called the land sanctification ceremony.

"It's the initial ceremony we have to do before we can actually start."

The Hindu Union is already talking to architects in India about the design and construction of the temple - much of which will be built in hand-carved Indian marble.

Once completed, the temple will cover around 300 square metres, with a much larger community hall.

Recreational and social

Bharat Lukka, of the Gurjar Hindu Union, said: "It's catering for a very young new community in Crawley, like myself.

"Truly this is a huge project and hopefully in two years' time the first phase of the building work will start.

"The temple is going to be very small - the rest of it is all recreational and social."

The whole project, backed by Crawley's 4,000-strong Hindu population, is expected to cost more than £3m.

The plans were passed by Crawley Borough Council in June 2001, with building work due to start in 2004 and finish in 2006.