Historic Mobeni Heights temple to remain open

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Durban - The fight to keep the Shri Luxmi Narayan Temple in Mobeni Heights open has had a successful outcome, Habi Singh announced on Tuesday. He was one of the people at the forefront of fighting to keep the temple from shutting down. The 82-year-old, who has attended the temple all his life, said the decision came when concerned members had a meeting with the South African Hindu Maha Sabha on Tuesday. The more than 100-year-old temple is one of the oldest in Durban. The meeting came as devotees had been at loggerheads over the future of the temple. The Daily News reported in February that some of the board members had argued that, because of the low number of people using the temple’s facilities and the changing demographics of the area, they were considering moving the temple to a different place in Chatsworth.

A heated public meeting was held where an association of interested persons was formed to discuss the matter with the trustees and board members.

Singh said it had been agreed that the hall, which forms part of the temple, would be run separately.

Singh said the problems facing the hall were negatively affecting the temple.

“Everybody was happy with the settlement. Closing the ttemple, would have been tragic. It was a gargantuan struggle. You are fighting with your mind, heart and soul,” he said.

Ashwin Trikamjee, president of the South African Hindu Maha Sabha, also expressed his happiness that the matter had been resolved.

He said the Hindu Maha Sabha brought all the parties together to find a solution. He said part of the dispute had come from a misunderstanding between the parties involved. “It was an unnecessary public spat,” Trikamjee said.

He said the parties had also realised that it was not as big an issue as it had been made out to be.

He said they would be having further meetings to discuss proposals and solutions to improve the dire financial situation at the temple.

Nirvasha Maharajh, said it was excellent news that the temple was not being sold. “I am quite ecstatic. I always wanted the temple to be saved at all costs,” she said.

Maharajh, who lives in Burlington Heights, said she had been going to the temple for more than 30 years.

“We were brought up going to the temple,” Maharajh said. Her husband is also a priest at the temple.

She asked that the public offer more support to the temple and use its facilities in the future.

Daily News