By Cheryl Jahn

First Hindu Temple opens in PG

First Hindu Temple opens in PG

Nov 8, 2024 | 3:22 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – Nisha Muchalla recently spent an afternoon reading to a few members of the Hindu community.

“It’s more than five thousand old,” she says. “Religion and all the religions came out of Hinduism.”

And she’s doing those readings in the community’s new temple. The first Hindu Temple in Northern BC. It was a journey of more than three decades to get here.

“The journey’s 31 years old, so there is a lot of excitement,” says Gurneal Jaswal, President of the Shri Maa Bhameshwari Kali Mandir Trust. “I think it also gives people hope and a little bit of momentum to do something, like try and build something like another temple, probably in one of the bigger centres.”

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The Hindu community in Prince George has been present in Prince George for several years, albeit small. But having a place of worship may help in adding to their numbers.

“In Prince George, we have a lot of students, we have a lot of folks that haven’t really had the opportunity to practice their faith, number one, but also really haven’t had the opportunity to really see what Hindu Hinduism is about.”

For Nisha, it’s a place to celebrate her religion and pass on her wealth of knowledge to others in a place where she can, finally, worship.

“My baby is 34 years old,” says Nisha. “I lived in Prince Rupert for 20 years and there was no temple, so I practised Hinduism at home and to teach my kids what our traditions are. And its traditions are not only having colourful clothes, having Diwali parties and having Holi parties and all that. It’s more than that.”

The Society says the doors are open to anyone who has an interest in one of the oldest religions there is.