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Hindu community petition to buy new Slough site

Neranjana Elapatha
BBC News, reporting from Slough
BBC Satish Kumar Divvela (L) and Annapurna Divvela (R) they are behind a Hanuman statue. BBC
Members of the Hindu Community said the temple in Slough was oversubscribed and a new community centre was needed

The Hindu community in Slough has started a petition in support of buying a new site "to build a foundation for the next generation".

Wexham Court Parish Hall is one of the properties Slough Borough Council is looking to sell to help off its debt.

It is not yet on the market, but the charity Jeeyar Educational Trust UK (JETUK), which supports Hindu projects around the world, is working with the community to make a purchase before it enters the competitive market.

Slough Borough Council said it was unable to comment at this stage.

Chandra Kondepudi is wearing a blue top and is behind the building they want to purchase.
Chandra Kondepudi is the lead petitioner and said he wanted to continue the legacy of using the hall for the community

Chandra Kondepudi started the petition, which closes on 13 June, to show support for a preferential sale of the building.

"We want to build a foundation for the next generation, " he said.

Mr Kondepudi said the community currently has no dedicated building, so they rent out schools and halls like Wexham Court Parish Hall for meetings and festivals.

He said the aim for the building was to maintain the community's cultural roots, create language and Sanskrit workshops, and invest in young people.

Dr Rajesh Gurrala has short black hair and a blue open-collared shirt, he is standing in front of a pink backdrop and colourful pictures and statues
Dr Rajesh Gurrala said with technology and social media it was hard for his children to maintain their cultural roots

Krishna Madhusudhan is a parent of a young daughter and said it was important to him that she understood her cultural roots.

"Children who are in touch with their cultural roots grow up with firm sense of identity, which is really important for their future," he said.

Another parent, Dr Rajesh Gurrala, said social media and technology had played a role in disconnecting younger generations from their roots.

He said: "If you have a community centre, apart from having a place of worship, we also plan to organise events on Hindu teachings."

Annapurna Divvela said having a community building running workshops would be beneficial for his children, because they would be around other peers with similar backgrounds.

Hindu Temple Priest doing prays with a oil lit candle during a Puja. He is waving the oil candle in front of the Hindu statues.
JETUK is an international charitable organisation which supports Hindu projects around the world

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