Source: www.wscountytimes.co.uk
CRAWLEY, UK, July 31, 2009: The opening of Crawley’s new mandir and community center in Ifield, planned for this month, has been put back to the end of the year.
So far, delays have cost the funding organization, the Gurjar Hindu Union, US$320,000. Now they may have to pay an additional $830,000, due to the councillors’ decision to require 250 parking spaces on site instead of a planned 99. The GHU is appealing that decision. Project manager Ashwin Soni said, “There isn’t any other place in Crawley which has the level of parking we have to have.” The GHU proposes to use a grassy area at the temple site for overflow parking for big events.
Their most pressing headache is the absence of a team of specialist stonemasons needed to carve the pink marble which will form the building’s exterior. They were due to arrive from India in April, but a change in immigration rules has prevented their arrival until the end of next month.
Mr. Soni said all this “has had a major, major impact on GHU and its funding,” but insisted the union has no problems financing the US$6.6 million temple. “There isn’t a temple anywhere in the UK which has suffered from lack of money. We’re confident that money isn’t going to be a problem.”
Between August 15 and 28, 2,500 people are expected to pack the unfinished site to attend a series of prayer recitals featuring Rameshbhai Oza, a famous religious singer. This event was planned as part of the opening ceremony of the temple.