Sri Muthumariamman Temple Hanover
The Sri Muthumariamman Temple in the Hanover district of Badenstedt is a religious center of Tamil Hindus and one of the largest temples in Northern Germany . It is carried by the Hanoverian Tamil Hindu Cultural Association .
The building
The structure
The building was constructed between 2007 and 2009 for around 300,000 euros. It is a simple building with around 140 m² of usable space in a commercial area . After a two-year construction period, the erection of a three-story temple tower was celebrated in July 2017.
The interior
Inside is the shrine with the statue of the main goddess, Muthumariamman. It is framed by two figures, the guardians of the goddess. On the left this is the statue of the elephant-headed god Ganesha , on the right the god of the Tamils, Skanda (also known as Murugan or Kartikeya), both are considered the sons of Shiva and the goddess. At the other end of the temple room is the shrine for the statues of Navagraha , the personified nine planets. The goddess' companion animal, a lion, can be seen between the two main shrines. In addition, there is another figure of the goddess in the temple, traditionally made of five metals. All figures of gods were designed and imported by hand according to ritual tradition in Indian Mamallapuram .
The main goddess
The main goddess Muthumariamman, Mariamman for short ( Tamil மாரியம்மன் "Mother Mari") is the South Indian goddess of disease and rain. She is the main mother goddess in South India and predominant in the rural areas of Tamil Nadu , Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh , where there are numerous shrines for her. Mariamman is also one of the numerous manifestations of the Hindu goddess Parvati . She is one of the ancient South Indian folk goddesses, some of whom flowed into the high religion as benevolent or terrible aspects of the Devi . In Durga or Kali , both wives of Shiva , the cult of the great mother goddess of early Indian times is united with her kind, motherly as well as her cruel and destructive features. As a mother, she gives life and grace. Kali merged with countless local and village deities, including the South Indian Mariamman.
The community
history
Since May 1994, Hindus, mostly from Sri Lanka , some from Tamil Nadu , have met every Friday in the Döhren leisure center for a puja , the ritual worship of God. In 1995 the community moved into former commercial premises in Badenstedt , which an experienced Tamil artist from North Rhine-Westphalia converted into a place of prayer. In 2007, the congregation began construction of the current temple building, which was inaugurated in March 2009 by a Canadian high priest with the Kumbhabhisheka ceremony in the presence of around 1,000 visitors. The temple has had a full-time priest since 2014.
activities
The puja takes place every day at 6 p.m. , every Friday also the ceremony of the abhisheka, the washing of the goddess Muthumariamman.
literature
- Carina Back: Hindu temple in Germany. An examination of Tamil-Hindu structures in the diaspora. (Religionen aktuell; Volume 1), Tectum, Marburg 2007, ISBN 978-3-8288-9466-2 , pp. 73-78
See also
Web links
- Official website (multilingual).
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Maurice Wojach: Hindu prayer house in Hanover: A temple Colorful. In: Süddeutsche Zeitung . May 17, 2010, accessed April 9, 2020.
- ↑ Susanna Bauch: Badenstedt: Hindus celebrate their new tower at the temple. In: Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung . July 5, 2017, accessed April 9, 2020.
- ^ Message: Meeting place: Northern Germany's largest Hindu temple inaugurated. In: Der Spiegel . March 22, 2009, accessed April 9, 2020.
- ^ Anne Grüneberg: Hindu temple in Badenstedt: Gods in the industrial area. In: Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung. June 7, 2014, accessed April 9, 2020.
Coordinates: 52 ° 20 ′ 59.5 ″ N , 9 ° 39 ′ 29.2 ″ E