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PARAMARIBO, SURINAM, July 11, 2003: The oldest temple in Surinam, a Sivalay at the Gangaram Pandayweg in the Saramacca district, was re-inaugurated July 10, 2003. The temple was built roughly 112 years ago by one of the first British-Indian contract workers, Pandit Tribhunath. After forty years of neglect the temple was renovated on the initiative of the Maa Chand Foundation of the Netherlands. According to Mahinder Lachman, chairman of Maa Chand, the Sivalay in Saramacca is an authentic temple built in the Indian style. US$6,000,000 has been spent in the renovation.



In recent years a new prayer house called the Laxmi-Narain-Mandir has been constructed next to the old Sivalay. In cooperation with this mandir a havana (fire-offering service) will be conducted for five consecutive days to inaugurate the refurbished Maha Mrityunjaya Shiv Jagyashala. The service will be led by the scholar Shri Brahm Rishi Surindre Tewarie from the Netherlands. According to Tewarie the havana will be performed for five days to honor the five syllables of the holy Siva mantra, “Namasivaya.” Tewarie says that this new temple will serve as a stimulus to the Hindu community in Saramacca to get back to their roots and learn the beliefs and practices that have not been passed to the next generation in recent times. (Original story in Dutch.)

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