The Premier has made good on a promise to support the city’s Hindu community. Photo: Multicultural NSW.
Sydney’s Hindu community has acquired a property in the city’s west to provide a cultural hub for one of the nation’s fastest-growing religions. The purchase is thanks to $3.75 million in help from the Minns Labor Government.
The hub, named the Hindu Cultural and Education Centre, will be in Parramatta and is set to be a significant site for the city’s Hindus. It will host cultural events, yoga, music and dance classes and activities for young and old people, aiming to bring the Hindu community together.
“Today we’re delivering our election commitment to establish a home for Hindus in Western Sydney, with more than a quarter of a million people in NSW now practising Hinduism,” Premier Chris Minns said.
“This site will be a cultural and spiritual hub for the Hindu community for many years to come, and I look forward to seeing the centre add to the rich diversity of Sydney’s west.
“I congratulate the Hindu Council of Australia for its work to make this project a reality.”
The Hindu Council of Australia will also use the hub to train chaplains and religious education teachers, intertwining culture and religion. The centre will also store important cultural and religious texts.
The funding to create an administrative heart for the Hindu Council and other community organisations was provided as part of an election commitment by the NSW Government to support the swiftly growing Hindu community in NSW.
Minister for Multiculturalism Steve Kamper said: “The Hindu community in NSW is growing, so I’m very pleased that with this funding from the Minns Labor Government, Parramatta will be the new home for a Hindu cultural centre.
“The Hindu Cultural and Education Centre will host a range of activities, from cultural exchanges to wellness sessions, and act as a base for engagement with other faiths and communities.”
Small numbers of adherents to the Hindu religion have lived in Australia since at least the 1850s.
