FOR decades the Hindu community has been one of the largest yet most unrepresented in Swindon– until now.

More than 60 years since the first post-war Indian migrants settled in the town, Hindus are finally celebrating the long-awaited inauguration of a temple and cultural centre – a major step towards integration and validation in Swindon.

The centre, which opened its doors at Cheney Manor Industrial Estate at the end of May, is the work of chairman Pradeep Bhardwaj and his dogged band of volunteers.

“It’s simple; as a community, we’re better together and people had been wanting a place where they could socialise and celebrate their joy and share their sorrow with everyone else,” says the father-of-two, who moved from Delhi 17 years ago.

“There were places of worship for all the main religions in Swindon except Hinduism. And a place to worship is a human right.

“We had all these small groups who wanted to come together and we had to make it happen. It had been too long.”

Like most projects, Swindon Hindu Temple and Cultural Centre was a castle in the sky for more than three years.

Until, last winter, the team closed the lease on dilapidated offices in Darby Close.

Volunteers promptly set to work – painting, rewiring, plastering and scouring from skirting boards to rafters for weeks on end.

On May 21, they unveiled the fruit of their labour and welcomed more than 600 local families for a day of revels at the first inclusive Hindu Temple and Cultural Centre for miles around.

In fact, it is unrivalled in size and scope in the area and only the likes of London and Birmingham boast such large infrastructure, Pradeep believes.

While undoubtedly one of the biggest pockets of population in and around Swindon, with close to 15,000 followers in the town and nearly 30,000 in the wider Wiltshire, Berkshire and Bristol area, for decades the Hindu community was also one of the most divided – by language, country of origin and traditions.

But Pradeep and other Hindu stalwarts in the town pledged to bring its dispersed elements and subgroups together under one roof.

“I think the reason this couldn’t happen before is that the community was divided, geographically and by language, but not necessarily culture,” said Pradeep, a senior technologist in the mobile industry.

“We spoke to many different community leaders and they’d wanted to accomplish this for a long time.

“It was about overcoming these barriers.”

One of the key aims for the centre, which is a registered charity, is not only to provide the community with a place of worship but bring support to new migrants, often left isolated in a strange country.

Like Pradeep, 48-year-old Suresh Gattapur uprooted his life in Bangalore 12 years ago to pursue a thriving career in the most recent wave of skilled migration from India.

Adjusting to a new life with no links to his new community or sense of kinship proved daunting.

“When I moved here on the highly skilled migrant programme, I didn’t know anyone,” said the temple and centre executive committee member.

“I was homesick. It was a new country and I think it would have been good to have a centre like this to help, give you that link with the community.”

While the temple element is crucial, it is a cultural centre first and foremost.

“You may call it a religion but to us it’s a way of life,” said Pradeep, 48.

“For us culture, religion, language, are one and the same.

“We are living abroad but we don’t want to lose all this great culture and these teachings that were discovered 3,000 years ago.”

But the hub is not only aimed at the Hindu community. It was designed with a view to bridge the gap between British and Hindu cultures – which, Pradeep insists, have far more in common than meets the eye.

As well as a place for families to celebrate milestones, mourn their loved ones, gather and form close bonds with others in their close-knit community, the centre will offer cookery, dance and yoga classes – at £5 or less – to introduce the broader Swindon population, regardless of creed or ethnic background to Indian, Sri Lankan and Nepalese traditions and heritage.

“We want to give back to the community that welcomed us,” said Pradeep.

“The emphasis is on promoting the good and encouraging tolerance and collaboration. “Through Hinduism we learn the value of respect to others, living peacefully and sharing.

“This is about sharing. We want to leverage the strength of the Hindu community and contribute to Swindon.”

The team’s long-term plan is to eventually move out of Cheney Manor Industrial Estate and build a temple and cultural centre elsewhere in Swindon.

Determined to turn outward, they have a packed schedule of events, including computer literacy classes open to the elderly.

Volunteers will run a soup kitchen for the homeless. The team is also in talks to deliver a Home Away From Home scheme to allow highly-skilled migrants in Swindon’s largest firms to acclimatise quickly to their new country.

The centre will also act as a community hub, stepping up to plug the gap in provision in the wake of steep Government cuts.

Looking forward, volunteers are keen to set up a library, hold health talks, provide a befriending service and “shopping companions” for pensioners or anyone with disabilities unable to carry out the daily tasks we take for granted.

“It’s our duty, to serve the community. It’s as simple as that,” said committee member Vinay Kumar, who settled in Swindon from the Punjab 36 years ago and split his career between stints at Thamesdown and Stagecoach. “It’s hard work but God is with us. It gives us strength to do the job.”

“We have social obligations,” agrees Pradeep. “It goes beyond the centre. This is a community-based enterprise. This country has given us a lot and all we want is to harness the power and potential of the community and establish a cultural hub.”

Visit www.swindonhindutemple.com, email swindonhindutemple@gmail.com or call Pradeep on 07725 582624.