Young Hindus in Northstowe Fear Becoming a Lost Generation Without Local Temple

Young Hindus in Northstowe fear becoming disconnected from their culture due to lack of a local temple, forcing families to travel long distances for worship after the closure of a nearby temple and unsuccessful bids for faith land.

Young Hindus Concerned Over Lack of Worship Space in Cambridgeshire

Eyva, 16, expressed concern that young Hindus risk becoming a "lost generation" without a dedicated place to gather and worship in Cambridgeshire.

Members of the Hindu community in Northstowe, Cambridgeshire, have voiced fears of becoming disconnected from their culture and traditions due to the absence of a local temple.

Hindu families residing in Northstowe now face the prospect of traveling to temples in London and Birmingham following the closure of the Bharat Hindu Samaj Temple in Peterborough.

Some families relocated to Northstowe with the expectation that the Hindu Samaj Northstowe group would secure the bid to establish and operate the town's first faith hub. However, the bid was unsuccessful, losing to the Northstowe Church Network.

"Compared to my friends who go to church every week, I go to temple maybe twice a year,"

said 16-year-old Eyva, a Northstowe resident.

"My friends like to come and see festivals and how we celebrate, but I can never take them to a temple.

"I can never show them how our traditions are done properly, because there are no facilities to support that,"

she added.

"You've already lost this generation,"

Eyva stated, adding that

"you've lost the next generation as well"

if a temple is not established soon.

The Hindu Samaj Northstowe group's bid received a score of 65 out of 100 based on South Cambridgeshire District Council's evaluation criteria, while the Northstowe Church Network achieved a score of 81.

The council acknowledged that the Hindu Samaj Northstowe bid "presented clear evidence of both regional and local need for a temple," but noted that it could have better addressed "local needs outside the faith community" and lacked "sufficient practical detail."

Eight adults and one child sitting in a classroom in two rows. They are looking at the camera. — Image caption, Hindus in Northstowe say they are regularly driving to Watford and Birmingham to worship at a temple

Hindus in Northstowe report regularly traveling to Watford and Birmingham to attend temple services.

Future Opportunities and Current Faith Hub Plans

South Cambridgeshire District Council plans to offer three additional opportunities for groups to bid for faith land.

The first faith and community hub in Northstowe is scheduled to be constructed on 0.25 hectares (0.6 acres) of land off Stirling Road, overlooking Bug Hunter Waters lake.

Keisha, 10, shared that her family deliberately moved to Northstowe because of the sizable Indian community and the anticipated availability of faith land.

"I think there's a definite need for a temple in Northstowe so we don't need to go so far away,"

Keisha said.

Her father, Abhishek, explained that the family currently drives approximately an hour and a half to Watford to worship.

Ten-year-old Keisha is smiling at the camera and sitting next to her Dad, Abhishek, who is looking at the camera with a neutral expression. Keisha is wearing a top patterned with strawberries and a pink and red coat. Her dad is wearing a navy T-shirt and jacket. There are school tables stacked behind them. — Image caption, Keisha and Abhishek say the face more than an hour's drive to Watford, Hertfordshire, to worship at a temple

Aishwarya, another member of the community, described a similar journey with her two children, which has made visiting a temple feel like a chore.

"It's supposed to be a place of joy,"

Aishwarya said, but

"everyone is exhausted by the time we get there."

Aishwarya smiling and looking at the camera. She is wearing a floral zip up jumper. A classroom, out of focus, is in the background. — Image caption, Aishwarya said driving to a temple has become "a job"

Jeetendra, a Northstowe resident with a 10-year-old son, expressed concern that his child will be "much older" before a dedicated worship space is available nearby.

"I'm not going to have another child,"

he said.

"The need is now."

Jeetendra smiling at the camera. He is wearing glasses, a gold chain and a red shirt. An out of focus classroom is in the background. — Image caption, Jeetendra said his 10-year-old child would grow up without a nearby temple

Community Efforts and Council Response

Aparna Nigam, chair of the Hindu Samaj Northstowe group, hopes that future faith land availability will provide "that missing piece of the puzzle" by offering a shared space for various faiths, including Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, and Buddhists.

"We poured our souls into writing the 200-page bid over five years,"

Nigam said, expressing disappointment at receiving only a 150-word feedback summary from South Cambridgeshire District Council.

Aparna Nigam is smiling and looking at the camera. She is wearing a floral shirt. There is an out of focus classroom in the background. — Image caption, Aparna Nigam said the Hindu Samaj Northstowe group poured their souls into their application

The council stated that there is a "wealth of information to help potential bidders develop their proposals" and that applicants could request a detailed breakdown of their scoring, which was determined by six council officers and two external specialists.

Abhishek Srivasdava, also involved with the Hindu Samaj Northstowe group, emphasized that the proposed faith hub would be "no better" than booking an existing community centre if Hindus are not provided with a permanent base.

He added that the community would continue to transport their deities from place to place, lacking the ability to worship on consecrated ground or properly celebrate multi-day festivals.

"We're looking for social harmony; bringing everybody together,"

Srivasdava said regarding the current proposal.

"We would request they provide us a dedicated space,"

he added.

Abhishek Srivasdava smiling and looking at the camera. He is wearing a white shirt and brown fleece. There is an out of focus classroom behind him. — Image caption, Abhishek Srivasdava said a permanent base is needed for Hindus in the county

Reverend Beth Cope of the Northstowe Church Network highlighted her group's history of collaboration with Hindus in Northstowe, including organizing community events such as a Remembrance Day Service.

"There are four sites in Northstowe and we long to see every faith group have their home, but in the meantime where we've got shared spaces and where there's gaps in the schedule we'd love anybody to talk to us about booking those spaces,"

she said.

South Cambridgeshire District Council finalized the awarding of a 999-year lease on the land to the Northstowe Church Network on Tuesday.

Lisa Redrup, the council's lead cabinet member for healthy communities, stated that the bids were "carefully" assessed "against the agreed criteria," adding that "the selected proposal offers a wide range of community benefits."