Highlights
- Melbourne’s Sri Vakrathunda Vinayagar Temple begins kitchen upgrade with $500,000 fund from Victorian Government
- Temple management to promote vegetarian dietary habits and cooking from new kitchen
- Victorian Government had set aside $21 m to invest in multicultural communities
Using funding worth $500,000 received from the Victorian Government in 2020, Sri Vakrathunda Vinayagar Temple in The Basin, near Dandenong, has begun work to upgrade its kitchen and multipurpose hall.
In December, the government of Victoria had earmarked $21 million to boost infrastructure in multicultural communities while revitalising the state’s economy.
Speaking with SBS Hindi, the temple’s project director Babu Akula said, “the foundation for a new kitchen has now been laid and work is in progress.”
The need for a bigger and better kitchen area was felt to promote vegetarian food and provide more help to the community.
“Yoga and vegetarian food are important aspects of Hindutva. It is not about religion but the art of living. We also intend to run cooking classes here,” Mr Akula added.
In 2020, Victoria’s Minister for Multicultural Affairs Ros Spence was present at Sri Vakrathunda Vinayagar Temple to announce the funding.
Founded in 1989, Sri Vakrathunda Vinayagar Temple is the oldest Hindu temple in Victoria and is very popular amongst the south Indian community. The presiding deity of the temple is Ganesha.
Vegetarian food being served to visitors at Sri Vakrathunda Vinayagar Temple. Source: Sri Vakrathunda Vinayagar Temple, Victoria
Speaking on this development, Member for Bayswater Jackson Taylor, said, “this is great news for the local community and all visitors to the Sri Vakrathunda Vinayagar Temple, which has been a huge drawcard with its awe-inspiring architecture and design.”
The Victorian government’s Multicultural Community Infrastructure Fund (MCIF) website states that this program offers grants of up to $500,000 to culturally-diverse communities in the state with the aim of helping them maintain, upgrade and renovate community infrastructure.
Minister for Multicultural Affairs Ros Spence with devotess at the temple Source: Sri Vakrathunda Vinayagar Temple, Victoria
It adds that this program also aims to ensure that multicultural communities can celebrate, preserve and share their traditions and promote social cohesion.
The idea of Sri Vakrathunda Vinayagar Temple was first conceived in 1989 and the process of building it began in 1990. The ‘kumbaabhishekam’ (consecration ceremony of temples in South Indian Hindu tradition) of the temple was done in 1992.
Top view of Ganesha Shrine of Sri Vakrathunda Vinayagar Temple Source: Sri Vakrathunda Vinayagar Temple, Victoria
The Ganesha temple, originally built of bricks, mortar and concrete, has now has been covered with granite to resemble the ancient traditionally-carved granite Hindu temples of India. The 'kumbhaabhishekam' of this new temple was performed this year in January.
