Celebrating 150 years of the Shree Emperumal Hindu Temple in Mount Edgecombe

This Sunday marks the commencement of a year-long celebration recognising the 150th anniversary of the Shree Emperumal Hindu Temple nestled in Mount Edgecombe, just north of Durban.

The temple holds profound significance as one of the first Hindu places of worship that was built by Indian indentured labourers who arrived in Natal in 1860.

The Shree Emperumal Hindu Temple Society stated that approximately 15 years after the arrival of the Indentured Indians, the first temple was constructed. Despite facing harsh working conditions, these labourers brought with them a deep commitment to their faith and culture.

“Founded in 1875, the Shree Emperumal Temple was one of the earliest, if not the first Hindu temple built by the indentured community in South Africa. Dedicated to Vishnu, the temple served as both a place of worship and a centre for social and cultural gathering. The community of labourers, often separated from their families, found strength and solace in the temple, which became a focal point for communal unity and support.”

Tino Govender, chairperson of the temple, said the first prayer kicks off the 150-year celebrations of the temple.

“We are having a service, an idiom, and a small discourse. We will then serve brunch,” he said.

Bala Naidoo, the temple's spokesperson, stated that this prayer will be followed by a year of festivities, with certain activities highlighted each month.

“Sometimes we may have two because a lot of prayer dates fall between or even three. There will be a lot of musical programmes that will come in and a lot of things within the vernacular. One of the things that we are focusing on is Hinduism because sometimes people confuse language and religion, so we are trying to highlight those things as well,” said Naidoo.

There will be a chariot procession in June, a two-day Hindu Festival in July, the release of the new Hindu prayer book in October, and Deepavali Celebrations in November among other festivities.

Govender said this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for South African Indians to celebrate the milestone of the temple's history. “It’s an honour to be serving in one of the oldest temples in South Africa or should I say in the Southern hemisphere itself.”

Having served as the temple’s chairperson for more than 20 years, Govender said he is proud to say that they still observe the traditions of their forefathers.

He said these traditions were laid out from generation to generation.

“That tradition has been carrying on and I'm still observing certain traditions and continuing. That’s the reason that you will find our organisation differs from other organisations in South Africa because we follow tradition,” said Govender.

Govender added that the prayers, among other things, are not their religious practice but the traditions that have been set by their forefathers.

“The honour for us to be able to observe this year of 2025 and celebrate our great heritage from India. We are absolutely honoured to be part of that celebration,” he said.

Asked how many devotees visit the temple, Govender said for the recent Thaipusam Kavady, they catered for up to 600 people a day. “Over the entire period from day 1 to the last day, which was 17 days of prayer, we had in excess of 5000 people in and out of our temple.”

The society extended an invitation to all members of their community, past and present, to join them in honouring this momentous occasion.

“The temple has stood as a beacon of faith, unity, and cultural preservation for 150 years, thanks to the resilience of our ancestors who laid its foundation. We invite you to come together in celebration, reflecting on the legacy of the indentured labourers who brought this sacred space to life, and to join in the vibrant celebrations that will take place throughout the year.”

karen.singh@inl.co.za