A historical moment was witnessed by the Indians living in the Republic of Ireland, as the first-ever Hindu temple was inaugurated in Dublin on August 22, 2020. It is the first center of its kind for Ireland’s growing community of Hindus to encourage and promote Hindu traditions and culture. Previously, there was no dedicated, permanent space for Hindus to meet for worship, events, or religious festivals in Ireland. In the absence of a temple, locations like community centers or town halls were rented out depending on availability.
Nearly after two decades, with the consistent efforts of Sudhansh Verma, Director of Vedic Hindu Cultural Centre, Ireland (VHCCI) and his team, this dream of having a Hindu temple in the Republic of Ireland finally turned into reality. “It is a proud moment for us as an Indian community that we now have a Hindu temple to perform our religious rituals in a land away from home” said Ravinandan Pratap Singh, a non-resident Indian who lives in Dublin. Another NRI, Rohit Srivastav, added that it felt like home, with the presence of a Hindu temple in the capital of Ireland. Some of the upcoming plans from the temple and community center include an ecology project - which will involve the planting of thousands of trees around Ireland. Establishing a food facility for homeless people, and people living in poverty is also a part of the temple's plans. As per the reports, there are currently around 25,000 Hindus staying in the Republic of Ireland.