Phase 1 of largest Hindu Temple in Southern Hemisphere to open

Phase One of the largest Hindu temple and cultural complex in the Southern Hemisphere will be open to the public on Tuesday, next week. Nestled in the heart of North Riding in Johannesburg, the BAPS Mandir and Cultural Complex is an upcoming landmark of spiritual significance, cultural heritage, and community engagement.

Once completed, the site will serve as a beacon of faith, education, and social welfare, offering a place for reflection, learning, dialogue, and service for people of all backgrounds.

“The significance of this temple is that it’s going to be a festival of harmony and love. Basically a temple like this always brings people together, families together and it unites people of every kind. So you can say the significance of a temple like this is it basically provides a place of worship, a place to come together and a place to learn and be good and learn human values,” says Harnesh Patel a trustee of BAPS South Africa.

The Temple also stands as a testament to the resilience and dedication of the South African Indian community, which has overcome the adversities of indentured labour and apartheid.

“This temple is the largest comprehensive Hindu temple in the southern hemisphere. Within the temple we have a cultural complex which is the headquarters of BAPS charities. As well as all of our outreach activities including language classes, yoga classes and self-development courses, and that is all phase 1 which we are launching on the 2nd of February. And phase 2, which will begin very shortly, will be a very ornate Hindu temple with ancient Hindu architecture spanning from thousands of years ago spanning on South African soil,” explains Hemang Desai, the BAPS South Africa spokesperson.

Desai, says “His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj ” – the global spiritual leader of BAPS, will be arriving in South Africa next week to officially Bless the launch of the Temple.

Reporting Xoliswa Makhikhi