UNITED KINGDOM, April 10, 2014 (The Northern Echo): Hindu followers from across the region took part in a ceremony today to mark the installation of a statue at a temple for Gurkha soldiers. Shivalinga, the representation of the Hindu God Lord Shiva, was erected in an annex to the Gurkha Temple at the Infantry Training Centre (ITC) in Catterick Garrison.
The statue was donated by Swami Shri Gopal Sharan Devacharya Ji Maharaj, a high ranking Hindu priest who visited the ITC in 2012. Pundit Atmaram Dahal, Gurkha Company religious teacher, said: “The statue was constructed in India before being donated to our temple.
Captain Rajeshkumar Gurung, from Gurkha Company, said religion played an important part in the development of recruits, with religious teachers using examples of Lord Shiva to explain the moral component and duties of a soldier in combat.