VICTORIA, Seychelles — The Seychelles Hindu Kovil Sangam, the body that oversees the Navasakthi Vinayagar temple in Victoria, will mark its thirty second commemorative function on Monday January 22, 2024. The event follows more than a week of religious activity at the temple, with a special pooja scheduled to run from Monday January 15 through the afternoon of January 22. The commemoration will include a sandal decoration of Lord Navasakthi Vinayagar, followed by a procession in the inner courtyard of the temple from 6.30 pm onwards.
The Seychelles Hindu Temple was started on July 4, 1984, in a small mutt house, and has since been developed into one of the cultural and tourism heritages of the country, built with the help of the wider Seychellois community. The first consecration function, known as the Kumbabishegam, was celebrated on May 6, 1992, and the second consecration, on January 20, 2008, marked the completion of the temple’s seven story Raja Gopuram. The temple is regarded as a significant landmark of the Hindu faith in the Indian Ocean region, and a symbol of the cultural diversity, peace, and love that characterises the country.
His Excellency the High Commissioner of India will be the guest of honour at this year’s commemoration. The Sangabhishegam ceremony is being held in line with the Tamil calendar, on a date chosen for its religious significance. The Seychelles Hindu Kovil Sangam has invited members of the public to attend the ceremony and to receive the blessings of Lord Navasakthi Vinayagar. The temple has, over the years, served not only as a place of worship but also as a centre for cultural exchange and interfaith understanding.
The executive committee of the SHKS has used the occasion to highlight the contribution of the wider community, and of business professionals, to the development of the temple over the past four decades. The association is also planning a third consecration, the Kumbabishegam, in the near future, an event it says will add another jewel to the crown of the Seychelles Hindu Temple. The committee said the project will be a community effort and is expected to be completed within a reasonable timeframe once the necessary arrangements are in place.
The commemoration comes ahead of the annual Thai Poosam Kavadi Festival, which is scheduled for Thursday January 25. That procession, which has been held on the streets of Victoria since 1996, will begin at 8.45 am at the temple and will wind its way along Quincy Street, Revolution Avenue, Harrison Street, and Lodge Street, before returning to the temple. The festival is now in its twenty eighth edition and is treated as a national event, with the kavadi day having been a public holiday for Hindus since 1998.
