Sri Kamadchi Ampal Temple

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Sri Kamadchi Ampal Temple in Hamm
Sri Kamadchi Ampal Temple, detail

The Sri Kamadchi Ampal Temple in the city of Hamm ( Westphalia ) was the largest Dravida temple in Europe when it was completed and inaugurated on July 7, 2002, and the second largest Hindu temple after the Neasden temple in London, which was built in the north Indian Nagara style Temples in Europe at all. It is the only temple of the goddess Kamakshi outside of India or South Asia.

The Hindu community in North Rhine-Westphalia has over 3000 people. About 45,000 Tamil Hindus live in the Federal Republic of Germany.

history

Kavadi dancers at the 2007 Sri Kamadchi Ampal Temple Festival

The history of the temple began in 1989 as a small prayer room in the basement of the rented apartment of the Tamil priest Siva Sri Arumugam Paskarakurukkal , who is now also the manager, ritual expert, spiritual leader and chairman of the temple, in the west of Hamm. Like numerous other Tamils, he had come to Germany four years earlier as a civil war refugee from Sri Lanka and was housed in the nearby refugee camp in Unna-Massen .

However, the basement did not meet the legal safety requirements in any way. New premises were found as early as 1992 and the community moved to the premises of an old hot-iron laundry nearby. The annual temple festival with the public exit of the goddess took place until 1996 with increasing numbers of participants under official conditions on the part of the city. Thereafter, there were several complaints from residents and a contentious town meeting in early 1997, so that the city politicians had to decide. Although the city council of Hamm declared that “the temple had become important for the cultural life of the city” and that support for the project was “an expression of the openness and the strength to integrate foreign customs and traditions” , it was a move from the residential area became necessary. According to the mayor of the city, Thomas Hunsteger-Petermann , the temple is an asset for all of us and a great enrichment for the city of Hamm .

Then it was time to move the temple to an industrial park. From March 1997 a small makeshift temple was built in the Hamm-Uentrop district in an industrial area approx. 300 m from the Datteln-Hamm Canal , which is important for the ritual washing ceremony. Finally, from 2000, the new building of today's large hall temple was built on a plot of land opposite.

Martin Baumann , then a religious scholar at the University of Hanover , worked intensively from 2000 to 2003 on the integration of Tamil Hindus in Germany as part of a DFG research project "Reconstitution of meaning by means of religion in a foreign cultural environment" and accompanied the construction of the temple scientifically.

In July 2002 around 3,000 Hindus celebrated the inauguration of the Sri Kamadchi Ampal Temple with a 13-hour festival. 14 priests flew in specially to bless the temple and the eponymous goddess and to fill them with Shakti . Elaborate ordination and opening rituals took place for 45 days, mainly ritual ablutions and fire sacrifices. Since then, the temple has been known across Europe through numerous media reports.

Arumugam Pascaran is currently planning the construction of a cultural center, a library and a museum with further training in order to facilitate the integration of the Tamils ​​and enable a cultural exchange.

According to Pascaran, the temple does not belong to the Tamils, but to all people.

The temple has been a public corporation since March 1, 2017 .

architecture

Sri Kamadchi Ampal Temple Festival 2007
Sri Kamadchi Ampal Temple Festival 2014

The Hammer architect Heinz-Rainer Eichhorst , who initially had no experience in the construction of Hindu temples, designed the Hammer Temple strictly according to the template and style of the Kanchi-Kamakshi Temple in Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu in southern India . In a letter from the priest there, in which he conveys his blessing to Pascaran for his project, he is also accepted as an offshoot temple. Just like the mother temple, it is in the tradition of Adi Shankara , a south Indian saint, wandering monk and philosopher who developed the nonduale doctrine of Advaita-Vedanta . The construction costs of around 1.5 to 1.7 million euros were financed from donations and loans.

The foundation stone was laid in March 2000 for the building with a floor area of ​​27 × 27 m (729 m²). Several temple builders from India were employed for the construction, especially for the many sculptures and decorations. From the outside, the building is characterized by red and white vertical stripes, the impressive portal - Gopuram is 17 m high. Opposite it is a vimana (smaller temple tower).

The temple also has a wedding room, where Hindu weddings are held several times a month.

Overall, the building is adorned not only by the large granite statue of the eponymous goddess, but also by over 200 other figures of deities. There are separate altars for Ganesha and Murugan , the sons of Shiva , among others , who both also have their own temples in downtown Hammer.

All shrines are tiled in white and contain a hanging oil lamp, a gold arch with a lion's head and a stool in front of the shrine.

In 2014 the gopurams were painted in color in the typical South Indian style.

Name and representation of the goddess

The name "Sri Kamadchi Ampal Temple" expresses that the temple is dedicated to the goddess Kamakshi : śrī = respectful salutation, Kamadchi = after the variant காமாட்சி Kāmāṭci [ˈkaːmaːʈʂi] of the Sanskrit name कामाक्षी Kāmākṣī , from kāma, which is widespread in Tamil "Desire; Love "and akṣi " eye ": " those who read wishes from their eyes " or " those with the eyes of love " , Ampal = Tamil" goddess ". In Tamil the temple is called ஸ்ரீ காமாக்ஷி அம்பாள் ஆலயம் " srī kāmākṣi ampāḷ ālayam .

In addition to a statue of the goddess specially made for the temple procession, there is also the main statue of the goddess inside the temple made of black granite stone. This comes directly from Kanchipuram.

The image of the Kamakshi is represented with four arms, with the attributes of an elephant driver's stick, a ribbon with which she symbolically connects the world of the gods with that of humans, a bow made of sugar cane and five arrows made of flowers on which a green parrot sits. Kamakshi sits in the lotus position ( Padmasana ) on a lotus . Under her seat is the three-dimensional Sri Chakra sign , an abstract, triangular, tantric diagram ( yantra ). This abstract representation is far more important to the goddess than the anthropomorphic form of representation. She is wearing a red sari and has a smiling expression on her face. She wears a high, moon-like crown on her head. The body of the goddess is adorned with all kinds of flowers, gold jewelry, pearls and precious stones. The goddess wears several garlands around her neck.

Temple festival and rituals

Temple Chariot (2018)
Believers roll behind the temple chariot in the procession
Ritual cleansing in the canal

In addition to a regular puja that takes place three times a day , regular Hindu weddings and the celebration of numerous Tamil annual festivals, the temple is mainly known for its annual temple festival, mentioned in numerous media reports, either in May or June.

The annual 14-day temple festival, during which the statue of the goddess Kamadchi on a colorfully decorated carriage circles the temple in a procession and at the same time blesses the city and the people living in it, is visited by over 15,000 believers and visitors. She should be shown her new environment and made known to people. Besides this, the purpose is also to make up for the mistakes and transgressions of the past year. During the whole procession the mutual exchange of looks ( darshana ) is of the greatest importance.

Ecstatic dances, accompanied by drum beats, are regularly performed by so-called Kavadi dancers , decorated with peacock feathers and wooden hangers hung with milk pots. In addition, numerous find mortifications place where the faithful skewers and hooks in nails and mouth, cheeks and back stuck to fall into a trance like that. Sometimes they hang on to massive iron hooks (so-called hook swing ). Surprisingly, they do not bleed in the process, which the believers take for granted that they believe they are under the special protection of the goddess. They want to thank the goddess, be close to her and prove their love for her.

Meanwhile, because of a vow made to the goddess, other people roll their bodies around the temple. Women carry hot pots or camphor pots on their heads during the procession . Obsession with God , ecstasy and trance , as they are common in the Tamil area, play an important role during the rituals.

In addition, one also observes a ritual in which coconuts are broken in two on the ground and thus ritually beheaded, a substitution ritual for male animal sacrifices that often take place in South India, especially in the Tamil region , but which are not tolerated in the temple.

At the end of the procession, the Kamakshi idol is transferred to the Datteln-Hamm Canal and ritually cleansed there before it returns to the temple.

In addition, Tantric worship takes place irregularly on full moon nights and at Tamil annual celebrations , using the Sri Chakra symbol , an abstract, three-dimensional diagram, also called Yantra ( Sri Yantra ), which is also located under the seat of the goddess on the temple chariot.

meaning

The Hammer Kamadchi Temple is often referred to as the center and capital of Hinduism in exile, Diaspora Induism. According to Martin Baumann, it can be seen as a center of Hindu piety . It has become a place where the refugee Tamils ​​feel at home and where the new cultural-religious tradition is rooted in Germany's religious pluralism.

It serves to identify identity and self-assurance and provides security in dealing with the requirements of the host society. It should serve the integration of the Tamils ​​and enable them to connect to their homeland.

The most diverse Hindu traditions come close to one another here, without this leading to serious tension. On the one hand there is “orthodox”, Brahmanic, Sanskrit ritual, on the other hand there are numerous Tamil and Hindu folk cults. There is a clash between “big” and “small” Hindu traditions in a way that would normally not exist. However, there is no mixing of these currents, they all always remain among themselves. One can therefore also speak of a concentration of conflict.

Annette Wilke describes the peaceful coexistence and togetherness as a consolidation of tradition, popularization, interface, new construction and renegotiation of Hindu traditions. The temple offers both Tamil Sri Lankans and Indians an opportunity to practice their religion abroad and thus preserve their traditions.

Sri Pascaran, who sees himself in the tradition of the Shankaracharyas and can be assigned to the Lingayat or Virashaiva direction , prefers orthodox or brahmanic, sanskritic ritual, but also tolerates his own Tamil practices, although he does not particularly promote these and many of them considers them cruel.

In the temple itself, the most diverse traditions meet, Sri Lankan agama tradition of the Shivasiddhantas , South Indian, apocryphal Shankara current with lived Smarta Hinduism , as well as numerous Tamil folk cults , and sporadically the esoteric, tantric ritual of the "Srividya tradition".

The Hammer Temple has become a second home for Tamil believers. Their willingness to settle permanently in Germany was recognized by the fact that they invested a lot of time and money in the temple (the donations that financed the temple came mainly from Tamil believers). According to Baumann, the majority of them already have German citizenship and have long been integrated. This can also be seen in the openness of the believers to foreign cultures and the willingness to introduce them to the Hindu community. Integration is therefore a mutual matter and has long been fulfilled here.

It offers visitors and interested parties of all kinds an opportunity to learn more about religion, culture, tradition and Hindu gods.

Choice of location

There were four main reasons for choosing the location of the temple in the industrial area of ​​Hamm:

First, they needed space for the growing Tamil refugee community. In addition, the temple would have cost far more to build elsewhere. The industrial area in the Ruhr area is quite inexpensive. In addition, with the construction of the temple outside of the city center, disputes and verbal arguments as they existed before were largely avoided.

The second, far more important reason is the presence of running water in the vicinity, because ritual ablutions of the respective deity are essential and of central importance at festivals. In addition, there is the Datteln-Hamm Canal not far from the temple, in which the image of the goddess is washed at the end of the festival and which represents a holy river for her, similar to the Ganges in India .

The third reason has more to do with the central priest Sri Pascaran himself. When he came to Germany as a civil war refugee from Sri Lanka, he first went to the GDR. There he was sent to West Berlin . There he had the choice of either applying for an entry into the country or traveling to West Germany. Paskaran decided on the FRG and settled in Hamm.

The fourth reason is a very pragmatic, obvious one. The location was chosen because of the central transport links, which made it easier for the construction workers and subsequent visitors to get to the temple without any problems. In addition, the temple has a large parking lot for the numerous visitors.

Worth mentioning

The Sri Kamadchi Ampal Temple was the first Hindu-Tamil temple in Germany in which a procession took place. This is where most of the vows ( vratas ) in Germany are made. In 1989 it was one of the first Hindu temples in Germany, at that time there were only four more.

tourism

Sri Kamadchi Ampal Temple Festival 2007

The temple festival has been attracting more tourists every year since it was inaugurated and opened in 2002. In 2006 around 20,000 visitors were counted, around a quarter of whom were onlookers. For this purpose, priests from all over the world were flown in to bless the temple and the goddess herself and charge them with Shakti . The consecration ceremonies lasted 45 days, which was intended to ensure the special ritual purity of the area. Various ritual ablutions and fire sacrifices took place. The priests climbed the gopuram and showered it with water. The highlight for the numerous believers and visitors was the ritual washing and dressing of the goddess Kamakshi, which they were allowed to pour oil over and touch. In 2007 the temple festival attracted around 30,000 believers and visitors. The temple and the puja itself attract around 300 visitors each day. Guided tours are offered every day by the hammer architect of the temple, Heinz-Rainer Eichhorst.

Nothing may get near or into the temple itself that could defile or desecrate it. It is forbidden to bring dogs and cats with you, to eat meat, to wear shoes or to consume alcohol or cigarettes. Women are asked not to enter the temple during menstruation. It is expressly requested not to take photos or film during the pujas. The sanctuary with the central statue of the goddess is taboo for visitors, only the priests are allowed to enter and touch.

literature

  • Martin Baumann: The Sri Kamadchi Ampal Temple in Hamm. Research on Hinduism in Germany . Manuscript, 2002 (last updated March 4, 2012), accessed January 30, 2013.
  • Martin Baumann, Brigitte Luchesi, Annette Wilke (eds.): Temples and Tamils ​​in their second home. Hindus from Sri Lanka in the German-speaking and Scandinavian regions. Religion in Society , Vol. 15. Ergon, Würzburg 2003. ISBN 3-89913-300-5
  • Martin Baumann: Migration - Religion - Integration: Buddhist Vietnamese and Hindu Tamils ​​in Germany. Diagonal-Verlag, Rink Steffen & Thomas Schweer, 2000. ISBN 3-927165-67-0
  • Martin Baumann: Vows in Diasporic Contexts: Hindu Tamils ​​in Germany . Panel on "Sacred Promises: Dynamics of Lay Religious Vows". 18th Congress of the International Association for the History of Religions. Durban, South Africa. 6-11 August 2000. in: Dealing with Deities - The Vow in South Asian Religions . William Harman & Selva Raj (Eds.), Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2001.
  • Brigitte Luchesi: The Hindu temple festival in Hamm-Uentrop / Westphalia. in Manfred Hutter (ed.): Buddhists and Hinduists in German-speaking countries. Peter Lang, Frankfurt a. M., 2001

Web links

Commons : Sri Kamadchi Ampal Temple  - Collection of Pictures, Videos and Audio Files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ http://www.kamadchi-ampal.de/
  2. ↑ a b c d e Archived copy ( memento of the original from August 18, 2005 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.baumann-martin.de
  3. ^ City of Hamm citizens' meeting, February 21, 1997
  4. ↑ http://www.dw.de/hindu-tempel-im-ruhrpott/a-587631-1
  5. ^ Ordinance on the granting of the rights of a corporation under public law to the Hindu Shankarar Sri Kamadchi Ampal Tempel eV (Europe) based in Hamm-Uentrop
  6. ↑ a b Martin Baumann, Brigitte Luchesi, Annette Wilke (eds.): Temples and Tamils ​​in a second home. Hindus from Sri Lanka in the German-speaking and Scandinavian regions. Religion in Society , Vol. 15. Ergon, Würzburg 2003. Page 133 ISBN 3-89913-300-5
  7. ↑ a b http://www.suedasien.info/analysen/294
  8. ↑ Martin Baumann, Brigitte Luchesi, Annette Wilke (eds.): Temples and Tamils ​​in a second home. Hindus from Sri Lanka in the German-speaking and Scandinavian regions. Religion in Society , Vol. 15. Ergon, Würzburg 2003. Page 139 ISBN 3-89913-300-5
  9. ↑ a b Martin Baumann: The Sri Kamadchi Ampal Temple in Hamm. Research on Hinduism in Germany. Manuscript, 2002 (last updated March 4, 2012), accessed January 30, 2013.
  10. ↑ Martin Baumann, Brigitte Luchesi, Annette Wilke (eds.): Temples and Tamils ​​in a second home. Hindus from Sri Lanka in the German-speaking and Scandinavian regions. Religion in Society , Vol. 15. Ergon, Würzburg 2003. Page 126 ISBN 3-89913-300-5
  11. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k Martin Baumann, Brigitte Luchesi, Annette Wilke (eds.): Temples and Tamils ​​in a second home. Hindus from Sri Lanka in the German-speaking and Scandinavian regions. Religion in Society , Vol. 15. Ergon, Würzburg 2003. ISBN 3-89913-300-5
  12. ↑ a b c d e article about the temple in the Westfalenspiegel (PDF file; 260 kB)
  13. ↑ Martin Baumann, Brigitte Luchesi, Annette Wilke (eds.): Temples and Tamils ​​in a second home. Hindus from Sri Lanka in the German-speaking and Scandinavian regions. Religion in Society , Vol. 15. Ergon, Würzburg 2003. Page 134 ISBN 3-89913-300-5
  14. ↑ Martin Baumann, Brigitte Luchesi, Annette Wilke (eds.): Temples and Tamils ​​in a second home. Hindus from Sri Lanka in the German-speaking and Scandinavian regions. Religion in Society , Vol. 15. Ergon, Würzburg 2003. Page 135,137 ISBN 3-89913-300-5
  15. ↑ Martin Baumann, Brigitte Luchesi, Annette Wilke (eds.): Temples and Tamils ​​in a second home. Hindus from Sri Lanka in the German-speaking and Scandinavian regions. Religion in Society , Vol. 15. Ergon, Würzburg 2003. Page 136 ISBN 3-89913-300-5
  16. ↑ Martin Baumann, Brigitte Luchesi, Annette Wilke (eds.): Temples and Tamils ​​in a second home. Hindus from Sri Lanka in the German-speaking and Scandinavian regions. Religion in Society , Vol. 15. Ergon, Würzburg 2003. Page 132,133 ISBN 3-89913-300-5
  17. ↑ Martin Baumann, Brigitte Luchesi, Annette Wilke (eds.): Temples and Tamils ​​in a second home. Hindus from Sri Lanka in the German-speaking and Scandinavian regions. Religion in Society , Vol. 15. Ergon, Würzburg 2003. Page 137 ISBN 3-89913-300-5
  18. ↑ Martin Baumann, Brigitte Luchesi, Annette Wilke (eds.): Temples and Tamils ​​in a second home. Hindus from Sri Lanka in the German-speaking and Scandinavian regions. Religion in Society , Vol. 15. Ergon, Würzburg 2003. Page 1341 ISBN 3-89913-300-5
  19. ↑ http://www.hamm.de/fileadmin/user_upload/Medienarchiv/Touristik/Dokumente/Tempel_Flyer.pdf

Coordinates: 51 ° 41 ′ 13.8 ″  N , 7 ° 57 ′ 2.9 ″  E