North Queensland's first Hindu temple has opened in an unlikely structure: a 26-metre by 7-metre aluminium shed in the rural suburb of Gumlow, near Townsville. The temple committee opted for a shed over a more elaborate building to afford a larger parcel of land for yoga, dances, and cultural activities.
While the exterior resembles a garden shed, the interior is adorned with statues of deities, flowers, and a large enclosed altar made of white stone by Indian stone masons from Melbourne. The temple's senior priest is based in Melbourne, so junior priest Mugundan Achari, a medical student who moved to Townsville, leads many cultural duties.
Dr. Achari noted that between 200 and 300 Hindu families live in the Townsville region, and Hinduism is Australia's fastest-growing religion. The nearest Hindu temple previously was over 1,000 kilometres away in Brisbane, highlighting the need for a local place of worship.
The temple is expected to be upgraded to a more permanent structure in 2020, with the shed repurposed into a kitchen. Dr. Achari emphasized the importance of nature in Hindu practices, stating that water is seen as a purifier and fire as a messenger to God.
