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EPPING, NEW HAMPSHIRE, January 2, 2003: There was little Pandit Ramadheen Ramsamooj could do to save several precious religious icons when fire engulfed his Hindu temple Wednesday night. The smoke, he said, was just too thick. “I could not see anything at all,” the 50-year-old leader of the Saraswati Mandiram temple said yesterday as he sifted through what was left of the holy place where he and hundreds of others once worshipped. The fire was likely sparked by an electrical problem, the state Fire Marshal’s Office ruled yesterday.



Nine figures of Hindu Gods and Goddesses were ruined in the blaze, their charred and broken pieces strewn across the blackened floor of the temple. Ramsamooj said the gold-plated marble icons hand-made in India were valued at close to US$400,000. The flames were so intense they melted the gold. “It was devastating in my heart to see the place where I worship and the hundreds who come to worship go up in flames. It’s a very sad day for me,” Ramsamooj said.



Ramsamooj has vowed to eventually rebuild the temple, but until then, members will worship in a 200-seat auditorium attached to the temple that was saved by firefighters. Neighbors stopped by the temple yesterday to offer their support and assistance when efforts to rebuild get under way. Ramsamooj said it’s too early to begin thinking about how the temple will be rebuilt because he is still stunned. Members of the temple come from across New England. Some, like Hema Mahase, 18, live in apartments on the property. Mahase was home with her family when the fire began, but she and other tenants made it out safely. “I couldn’t believe it. This is so precious to us. We are just shocked,” Mahase said, standing near piles of burnt furniture and other items removed from inside the temple. Ramsamooj moved the Hindu temple from Boston seven years ago. The building was formerly used as a Christian retreat center. The temple also offers religious classes through a private school, and Ramsamooj is looking to create a charter school on the property.



Temple address: Saraswati Mandiram 38B, Ladds Lane, Epping, NH 03042. Phone: 603-679-1126

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