The oldest and the first purpose-built temple in New Zealand, Bharatiya Mandir, situated at Balmoral Road in Sandringham, Auckland, celebrated its 30th ‘Patotsav’ or anniversary in the last weekend of June 2023. Bharatiya Mandir Patotsav is a three-day event celebrated every year on the last Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of June month. This year the event attracted a large number of people on all three days and people enthusiastically took part in the festivities.

In year 1986, philanthropist Roshan Nauhria along with a few like-minded people decided to build a Hindu temple in New Zealand for the growing population of Hindus. Until then people were using some makeshift arrangements to fulfil their religious and spiritual aspirations. It took them seven long years to plan, generate funds and to conceptualise their dream of having the first Hindu temple in New Zealand. Many obstacles were created, and objections raised by the neighbours around the temple which delayed the construction work, but finally the doors were opened for public in a grand three-day ceremony in the last week of June month in 1993. The Mandir has been growing ever since it was opened for public 30 years ago. Today around 2,000 people visit Mandir every week to pay their obeisance and it has now become the biggest hub for the people of Indian community.

Mandir has created a large profile and has acquired several adjoining properties over these years. The Balmoral Community Centre, which is one door away from Mandir, is now a very popular venue for community events. Several regular community gatherings and activities take place here every week apart from people hiring the hall for various occasions regularly. It’s the central location, easy accessibility with very good parking facility, and very reasonable hiring charges that draw people to come to hire this venue. This is a very large property consisting of around 3,300 square meters of land area and opens on two sides of streets, on Balmoral Road and at the Patterson Street. Mandir Management Committee is well aware of the potentiality of this location and has some ambitious future plans for the community.

On the second day of the Patotsav ceremony on Saturday 24th June, India’s High Commissioner to New Zealand Neeta Bhushan and Second Secretary Durga Das also took part in the festivities. They were welcomed by the Mandir Trustee Chairperson Roshan Nauhria, President Ambrish Gupta, and Secretary Yugal Parashar. H.E. Neeta Bhushan was visibly very happy to be present at the Mandir on such a momentous occasion. She was in Auckland on a two-day visit to take part in the International Yoga Day and to meet the diaspora community in Auckland to address their issues. The Mandir Patotsav- 2023 was a huge success where more than one thousand people took part in three days festivities and enjoyed feast served on all three days on this occasion. -Yugal Parashar