Largest Hindu Temple in Europe Solemnly Consecrated in Berlin-Neukölln

The planning and construction period for the temple extended over a good two decades, as the report further states. The building on Hasenheide in Neukölln is considered one of the largest in Europe and is thus a rare example of Hindu sacred architecture in Germany.

Hinduism in Germany

Inside, the temple features small shrines for each deity. "Der Glaube hat seinen Ursprung in Indien und zeichnet sich unter anderem durch eine Vielfalt an Göttern aus", according to Deutschlandfunk. Various rituals for the blessing of the deity figures will take place through Sunday.

Hindu temples like this one are comparatively rare in Germany, as the report emphasizes. The best-known one is located in Hamm, North Rhine-Westphalia. In Berlin-Neukölln, with the new building, another central place for the religious community has now been established.

Religious Diversity in Numbers

Hinduism is the third-largest world religion worldwide: "Rund 1,2 Milliarden Hindus stellen die drittgrößte Weltreligion". An estimated 100,000 Hindus live in Germany, for whom the new temple in the capital represents an important point of contact.

The Tagesspiegel is accompanying the opening with a photographic tour through the new temple. Author Franziska Apfel describes the atmosphere with excited voices, incense, and loud drumbeats filling the interior. The celebrations are set to continue for several more days.

With the opening of the Sri Ganesha Temple, the Hindu community in Berlin is gaining—after two decades of waiting—a representative site for their religious practice, and Berlin-Neukölln is gaining a new cultural landmark of European stature.