An old house once owned by a church in the Durban suburb of Queensburgh is being converted into a Hindu temple.

The Sri Mayapur Dham, run by the Vaishnava Research Forum, will be the first permanent Hindu place of worship in the area.

It recently opened its doors to the Hindu community which for four years has had to attend religious events at halls in the area.

While the exterior of the temple is still under construction, weekly services, music and Hindi lessons and Hindu scripture classes have already commenced at the site.

Forum member Jack Baboolal said the Battersea Avenue house was bought from the Gereformeerde Kerk for R1.2-million and transferred to the organ- isation last month.

“Funds for the purchase of this property as well as its ongoing renovations have come from members of the community, philanthropists, and fund-raising events,” said Baboolal.

Baboolal said that they had received no complaints and tried not to disturb their new neighbours.

The forum plans to:

# Install a shrine to Mother Ganga;

# Bring cows from the Shri Krishna Gowshala cow sanctuary in Thornville, Pietermaritzburg, periodically for cow protection lessons;

# Import and consecrate the Hindu deities Krishna and Radha at an official opening later this year;

# Maintain and upgrade a research library; and

# “Adopting-a-spot” from the municipality adjacent to the property to conserve the indigenous vegetation in the area.