IPSWICH, UNITED KINGDOM, July 10, 2006: The Hindu Ipswich community in Great Britain recently held a Summer Mela offering spicy Indian cuisine and dance and musical performances to the general public and over 1,000 people attended the event. Paving the way to establishing a temple in the area, Ipswich Hindus wanted to familiarize the community with their culture. Dr. Sushil Soni from the Ipswich and Suffolk Indian Society said, “I’m delighted with how the mela went. It was a great success. We want it to be a permanent fixture in Ipswich and to make next year’s mela even bigger. In the 2001 census there were 1,700 Indians in Suffolk and about 1,000 of them – 60 per cent – are Hindus. That number has continued to rise steadily. In Ipswich there were 900 Indian people, of whom 500 were Hindus – and again that number is rising. Until now people have been content to worship at shrines in their own homes, but there is a feeling that as a community we should have our own focal point.” The society has already been fundraising for the temple and hopes to purchase an existing building and turn it into a place of worship. The news release said, “The proposal has already gained support from Ipswich borough council and the county council which have met with Dr. Soni and other Indian leaders to discuss the proposals. There is widespread support for the idea from the Indian community and the wider Ipswich society – including local MP Chris Mole.”
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