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All Hindu Tamils in Europe have heard of the Sri Kamadchi Ampal temple in northern Germany, many had been there. Inaugurated in 2002 the temple's towers have become a landmark for Hindus and visitors from nearby and faraway. (09.10.2004) |
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The spacious hall provides room for a multitude of people to attend the rituals and to pray to the gods. Central is the enormous shrine of the goddess Sri Kamadchi Ampal. In front stands the flag post. Bars in the front mark the area where normal worshippers are allowed and the part where only brahmans have access. (11.06.2004) |
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Believers wait and sit on the temple floor, heated by floor heating, until the puja (homage of the gods) starts. However, the Sri Kamadchi Ampal temple is a distinct exception of Hindu temples in Germany regarding size, architecture and provision. All other temples operate on a much smaller, nevertheless similar enthusiastic and engaged scale. This will be shown by the following images. The concluding pictures will bring us back to Hamm and the Sri Kamadchi temple. (09.10.2004) |
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Squeezed into two small cellar rooms, Hindus from the city of Essen have established their temple for Sri Siva Subramani. The first room displays a metal figure of Vinayakar (Ganesha), and also to his right a large-scale dharmic picture of Vinayakar . (Oct. 1998) |
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The main shrine room, just a few square meters in size and allowing entrance for a small number of persons only, is dedicated to Sri Siva Subramani (Murugan) as main deity. Murugan is represented by his spear, the vel (Tamil). In addition, dharmic pictures of various deities are set up at the back. (Oct. 1998) |
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The local priest having paid homage to the gods and ritually passing on the wishes of the bhaktas (worshippers) hands out consecrated ash to the visitors. The central sacred object, the vel, is to the right, seated on a lotus pedestal. In the back is a picture of Vinayakar. (Oct. 1998) |
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A half hour's drive onwards, the Sri Kumaraswami temple in Muehlheim/Ruhr was established in a cellar room of a hostel for asylum seekers in 1994. The cellar temple has three proper built shrines with Muththuk Kumaraswami (a form of Murugan) and his two wives as main deities. The priest Sri Harakurukkal performs the bathing ritual. He is administered by his two sons. (18.09.1998) |
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A close up of the shrines, Sri Harakurukkal pouring water over the deities. The temple moved to a hall in 1999 to provide much more space and an additional function hall for weddings. (18.09.1998) |
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Located also in the industrial Ruhr valley, Tamils established a spacious temple for Sri Thurkkai (Durga) in 1998 in Wuppertal. The typical red-and-white painting used in South Asia to paint the temple walls lead to the entrance. (10.10.2001) |
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The temple hall with shrines for the Nine Planets (right side) and the large size shrine of the central deity, Sri Thurrkai. In front of her shrine stands the flag post. At the back side are further brick-made shrines for Vinayakar (Ganesha), Shiva and Murugan. (10.10.2001) |
