Sri Durga Temple Rockbank – Largest Hindu Temples In Melbourne

The Sri Durga Temple Rockbank, known as the largest Hindu Temple in Melbourne, Australia, is located in the suburb of Rockbank in Melbourne. Since its opening on the 30 November, 2015, the temple has acted as a base for the Hindu community in Melbourne, where devotees often come together to celebrate and worship. It offers many classes in which the community can enroll such as Hindi Classes, Yoga Classes and religious teachings.

Sri Durga Temple’s opening ceremony was a grand affair, spanning seven days from November 24th to November 29th and including priests from all over the globe. The ceremony began with a Kalash Yatra and ended with a Shobha Yatra. Throughout the seven days many activities took place, such as kirtan, havan, Pran Pratishtha ceremony and an unveiling of all the idols. These idols, which were imported from Rajasthan, India were made out of Makrana marble. The list included Sherawali Mata, Hanuman and Radha Krishan among others.

During the seven days, the temple was filled with a fantastic atmosphere. Aarti was done and a long line was present for mata ke darshan. All guests were served a traditional vegetarian meal named Langar throughout the day. Several key members in the community were thanked and celebrated for making the temple a possibility. Among those thanked was Sunil Bhalla, the head of the technical committee throughout the construction process, as well as many architects and designers. Dignitaries such as Cabinet Secretary Marlene Kairouz, Ex-Mayors Cr Bob Turner and Cr Sofie Ramsey were present at the celebrations.

Speeches were given by the Committee Secretary Hari Julka and the Vice Consul of Trade and Culture M.C. Bhagat, on behalf of Consul General Ms. Manika Jain. Mr. Julka used the opportunity to thank the Victorian Government for their support and accommodations throughout the construction of the temple as well as for the opening ceremonies. Since the opening of the temple, a bus is run between the nearest train station directly to the temple in an attempt to make the commute a little easier for those who rely on public transport. Mr. Bhagat congratulated the Management Committee for the fruitful results of all their hard work.

The Hindu Temple in Melbourne, now a truly beautiful sight to behold, comes as a result of five years of construction, managed by an eleven-member management committee. It spreads across 22 acres of land and cost $4.5 million at the time of its opening. Most of the money came from donations and most of the construction was volunteer work. However, the temple is still far from finished. At the time of the opening, the committee members spoke of plans to add a kids’ playground and a verandah and are seeking further volunteers and funds in order to continue the construction as planned.