Action Organisations

Bucket List of Inspirational Places in Europe for Yatra

Would you consider a yatra to Europe? That’s right – there is a vibrant Hindu presence across the subcontinent of which few of us may be aware. From the Nordic countries and Western Europe to as far as St.Petersburg, Hindu communities have created and nurtured devotional spaces which offer so much to seekers from all walks of life.

 

BAPS, ISKCON, Brahmakumaris, Ramkrishna Mission, Chinmaya Mission, Sahaja Yoga and other organisations have engaged hundreds of thousands across Europe towards understanding and practicing the Hindu tradition. Many mandirs have been spearheaded by certain ethnic communities such as European Tamils, Gujaratis, Nepalis and Punjabis. Yoga centres have also been a great success thanks to the leadership efforts of spiritual teachers.

 

Recently, the stone-laying ceremony took place for the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Paris which is under construction and based on the same street as a church, synagogue, mosque and Buddhist temple. The Vedanta Centre in France is another extraordinary space based in Gretz-Armainvilliers, southeast of Paris. It is a 13-acre space with a three-storey building which houses a mandir, bookstore, classrooms and dining facilities. Hindu communities would greatly benefit from travelling to, and using, the extraordinary facilities at their disposal in some of the most tranquil locations of Europe. 

 

Germany and Switzerland have seen beautiful mandirs constructed most prominently by the Tamil communities who have settled there. The Sri Kamdchi Ampal Tempel is a living testimony to the purusharth (endeavour) of a community which started off as refugees from the Sri Lankan civil war. Frankfurt, Munich and Hamm are home to a majority of Germany’s devotional spaces of worship, and many prominent European thinkers have drawn inspiration from the Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita for centuries.

 

The Omkarananada Ashram in Switzlernad was founded by Paramhansa Omkaranand Saraswati. He was inspired to bring Hindu thought and yogic practices to Europe in 1966 and established centres across Europe, and his mahasamadhi sthan is in Austria.

 

Spain might be better known for its beaches and resorts, but it too has around 40 Hindu mandirs with ISKCON having a strong presence in Barcelona, Madrid and other cities. The Federación Hindú de España has also led the way in excellent advocacy work for the Hindu community which other countries can learn from.

 

Portugal is a beautiful country which also has multiple Hindu mandirs, ranging from the historic Templo Hindu Radha Krishna (founded 1982) to the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir which holds devotional assemblies every Saturday. ISKCON also has a base in Lisbon and there is a Shiv Mandir which hosts cultural and religious activities for the community.

 

Vienna has multiple ISKCON centres as well as the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University. The Omkarananda Ashram in Austria, which is based at the foothills of the Alps and surrounded in forestry, is another destination which are well worth visiting. The pictures alone are breathtaking!

 

The Hindu community in Belgium is extremely vibrant considering the relatively smaller size of the country. Various cultural organisations operate to preserve Hinduism in the public sphere and the Jayatu Sanskritam organisations actively engages many Hindus through its events. ISKCON also runs a Bhaktivedanta College there alongside the Bhaktivedanta Library Services and a grand mandir. Impressively, Belgium also has two Balinese-style mandirs called the Kingdom of Ganesh which is based in the largest Indonesian garden in Europe.

 

The Brahmakumari Movement and ISKCON have centres in Hungary. ISKCON has an impressive 8 centres there, a Bhaktivedanta College, a mandir which fuses Hindu and Hungarian architectural styles and the Krishna Valley which is a 660-acre farm attracting thousands annually.

 

Continental Europe is richly endowed with Hindu devotional spaces which Hindus would greatly enjoy visiting. They have the potential to inspire an entire generation of young Hindus who might otherwise dismiss the tradition after a couple of embarrassing RE lessons in school. So perhaps the next holiday can factor in at least one of these places, or Hindu Societies can organise trips to these destinations. Devotees who attend mandirs in the UK or US would certainly be interested in a spiritual tour of these destinations alongside sightseeing to learn more about the heritage of Hinduism as well as Europe.

Germany:

  • Heilbronn Kanthasamy Kovil, Siemensstraße, Heilbronn
  • Sri Sithi Vinayagar Kovil e.V., Stuttgart
  • ISKCON Wiesbaden, Wiesbaden (Hessen)
  • Sri Meenadchi Ambal Temple, Backnang
  • Sri Nagapoosani Amman Aalayam, Pforzheim
  • Sivaalayam (based on Siva Panchayatanam), Munich
  • Sri Pillaiyar Temple, Munich
  • ISKCON München, Munich
  • Hari Om Temple, Munich
  • Sri Sithivinayagar Temple, Nürnberg
  • ISKCON Jandelsbrunn Simhachalam Temple, Jandelsbrunn
  • Ramayan Hari Krishna Temple
  • Sri Ganesha temple
  • Jagannath-Tempel Berlin (ISKCON)
  • Mayoorapathy Sri Murugan Tempel
  • Sri Gauranga und Giriraja Govardhana Tempel/Invalidenstr
  • Pura Tri Hita Karana, a Balinese temple
  • Karpaga Vinayagar Temple, Frankfurt
  • Sri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple Frankfurt
  • Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Frankfurt
  • Manawa Bharti Temple, Düsseldorf
  • Sri-Kurinjikumaran-Temple, Gummersbach
  • Sri-Kamadchi-Ampal-Temple, Hamm
  • Sri Venkateswara Perumal Temple, Hamm
  • Sri Sithivinayagar Tempel, Hamm
  • ISKCON Köln
  • Sri Saanthanayaki Samethe Chandramouleeswarar Temple, Dortmund

France

  • Sri Ashtalakshmi Thevasthanam, Choisy-le-Roi
  • BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Temple
  • Sri Sathya Narayana Pathunga Temple, Choisy-le-Roi
  • Sivan Parvathi, La Courneuve
  • Sri Durgai Amman Temple Villiers Le Bel, Villiers-le-Bel
  • Luçay-le-Mâle: ISKCON Temple
  • Lyon: Temple Hindou de Vinayaga Perouman Koil
  • Radha Krishna Temple, Sarcelles
  • Sri Sri Radha Parisisvara Temple, Sarcelles
  • The Vedanta Center in France:
    • Europe has Vedanta centers in Germany, France, Netherlands, England, Switzerland and Russia. Most also serve as small monasteries, headed by one of the order’s 800-plus sannyasins who oversees the religious life of residents and provides teachings and outreach into the local community.
    • The Centre Védantique monastery in Gretz-Armainvilliers, France, a rural town twenty miles southeast of Paris, was founded in 1948. Since 1990 it has been under the spiritual leadership of Swami Veetamohananda, the resident administrator and primary teacher. Originally from Bengal, Swami was initiated as a monk in 1971 following ten years of training in Chennai and Kolkata. He is a gifted musician, both vocal and instrumental, and a key member of the interfaith movement in France. He writes prolifically and travels often to perform pujas and to speak on Vedanta, especially the Gita and Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, which he believes encompass the entire Indian religious tradition.
    • A three-story mansion houses the monastery’s temple, bookstore, Swami’s quarters, classrooms, kitchen and dining facilities. Newer facilities house residents and guests. The 13-acre property also has cow pastures and four beehives.

Poland:

  • New Shantipur ISKCON (since 1980, the oldest Hindu temple in Poland), Czarnow
  • Shiva Temple in Czarnów
  • New Ramana Reti (Nowe Ramana Reti), ISKCON, since 1989.
  • Shree Vara Lakshmi Narshingadev, Bhakti Marga Foundation, since 2009 (Warsaw)
  • Hindu Bhawan Temple (Warsaw)
  • Akshardham Temple (Warsaw)
  • Krishna Temple (Warsaw)
  • Ratha Yatra festival organised by the New Navadvip Temple in Wrocław in 2010
  • New Navadvip (Nowe Nawadwip) ISKCON, since 1998

Switzerland:

  • Arulmihu Sivan Temple, Glattbrugg (Zurich)
  • Hare Krishna Temple (Zurich)
  • Sri Sivasubramaniar Temple, Adliswil (Zurich)
  • Sri Vishnu Thurkkai Amman Temple, Dürnten (Zurich)
  • Arulmigu Siddi Vinayakar Temple, Baar
  • Sathya Sai Baba Center, Burgdorf
  • Shirdi Sai Baba Temple, Thun
  • Sri Rajeswari Ambal Temple, Basel
  • Kalyaana Subramanya Swami Temple, Bern
  • Sri Navasakthi Vinayagar Temple, Zizers
  • Vinayagar Temple, Geneva
  • Sri Murugan Temple, Lausanne
  • Amman Hindu Temple Luzern, Lucerne
  • Omkarananda Ashram in Switzerland
    • Winterthur lies 1,400 feet above sea level in northern Switzerland
    • Founded by Paramahamsa Omkarananda Saraswati. Born in 1930 in South India, he was initiated into sannyas by Swami Sivananda in Rishikesh when he was just seventeen. His accomplishments and institutions are legendary in India. From his high-tech ashram on the Ganges, followers run 26 schools and two dance and music academies.
    • In 1966 the young swami was inwardly directed to teach seekers in Europe. He founded his first European center in Switzerland; later he established a major ashram in Austria, with centers in Germany, England and France. Ultimately he initiated nearly 200 sannyasins and sannyasinis, who have faithfully run his centers since his mahasamadhi in Austria in 2000.
    • The heart of the community is a three-story edifice containing the multi-room temple where Swami’s shrine is honored. This powerful chamber is filled day and night with the compelling voice of Swami Omkarananda chanting the Mahamrityunjaya Mantra.

Italy

  • Centro Studi Bhaktivedanta- Center in Italy for study of Vaishnava history and philosophy
  • Matha Gitananda Ashram is one of the three Hindu monasteries in Europe. The Hindu monastery Matha Gitananda Ashrama is located in Località Pellegrino in the Municipality of Altare.

Portugal

  • The “Hindu Community of Portugal” (Comunidade Hindu de Portugal), a Hindu organisation, was founded in 1982. There is also a Hindu temple, called Templo Hindu Radha Krishna, which belongs to Comunidade Hindu de Portugal.
  • Shiv Mandir Association. (Templo de Shiva)
  • BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Lisbon (Missão Swaminarayan Hindu).
  • ISKCON – Lisboa, Associação Internacional para a Consciência de Krishna.

Sweden

  • Around 30,000 Hindus live in Sweden
  • Hindu Forum Sweden (HFS) is the major Hindu association in Sweden. HFS is an umbrella organization of Hindu Forum Europe (HFE). In 2018, this organization also celebrates Hindu festival Diwali with Hindus of Sweden, Swedish politicians and representatives of inter-religious groups. Other associations:
    • Bengali Hindu Association
    • Hindu Mandir Stockholm (Stockholm Hindu Temple)
    • Hindu Union Jönköping
    • Stockholm Kannada Koota
    • The International Swaminarayan Satsang Organisation has a temple in Mariestad
    • ISKCON:
      • Korsnäs Gård, in Botkyrka municipal in the Stockholm county , is an establishment on the countryside with a Hare Krishna temple. Korsnäs has as its main function to work with the publishing company BBT (Bhaktivedanta Book Trust) who translates the Hare Krishna books to various languages for the entire world.
      • The Almviks gård in the south of Stockholm County is also a country side establishment with a temple. Originally this was an agricultural cooperative but has later changed into a village project combining agriculture with families living there but working elsewhere

Russia

  • The history of Hinduism in Russia dates back to at least the 16th century. When Astrakhan was conquested in 1556, the small Indian community became part of the Moscow state. In the early 18th century, Peter the Great, the first Russian Emperor, met Astrakhan Hindus and on their request asked the Russian Senate to issue a law for protecting the beliefs of Hindus. This was the first law in Russia to protect foreign religion.
  • In 1971 A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada introduced it to Russia. In 1988, ISKCON was first registered as a religion. Later, it was re-registered in 1998. In the same year, there were 120 Krishna communities in Russia.

Hindu organisations:

  • ISKCON Temple Yessentuki. Moscow has an estimated 10,000 ISKCON devotees and at least 5,000 Indians, Sri Lankans, Nepalese, and Mauritians following Hindu denominations
  • As of December 2005, the Federal Registration Service recorded 79 Hindu groups with a particular orientation on Krishnaism. These are the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, ISKCON Revival Movement, Science of Identity Foundation, Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, Sri Chaitanya Gaudiya MathSri Krishna Chaitanya MissionSri Gopinatha Gaudiya Math,International Pure Bhakti Yoga Society, among others.
  • Brahma Kumaris have 20 centres, Ramakrishna Mission has one centre, Ananda Marga has a centre in Barnaul, Tantra Sangha has one registered branch in Moscow and another in Nizhniy Novgorod was officially recognized in 1993.

Austria:

  • In 1980 the Bengali Bimal Kundu founded the first Hindu religious society in Austria, for Hindus immigrating from the Indian subcontinent. He runs a small temple, located at a room in the Afro-Asian Institute.
  • Since 1998, the “Hindu Religious Society in Austria” is a “state-registered confessional community” official representative for all Hindus.
  • It is not yet a legally recognised religion, and therefore is not eligible for support from the state, however they may be eligible for this after 20 years of existence.
  • Hindu Mandir Association is one of the oldest organisation in Vienna. Established in 1991.
  • ISKCON centres in Vienna:
    • East of Eden
    • ISKCON Center for Vedic Studies.
    • The Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mission has established a mandir in Vienna, which has a yearly Krishna Janmaashtami festival.
  • Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University (BKWSU), a new age neo-Hindu spiritual organisation has three centres in Austria, located in Vienna, Graz and Rankweil.
  • The Osho movement, Sahaja Yoga, Sai Baba, Sri Chinmoy also have a small presence. Along with Hare Krishna they are categorised as “sects”. The term “sects” is used by the Government to denote small organizations with fewer than 100 members. Only the Hindu Religious Community has more than 100 members, and is the only Hindu organisation that constitutes one of the “confessional communities ” in Austria.
  • Omkarananda Ashram in Austria: Sri Swami Omkarananda’s Austrian monastery was established in 1985 in the foothills of the Alps, surrounded by forest. Boasting Europe’s largest Meru Sri Chakra and a library of over 40,000 spiritual books, it has 25 sannyasins and brahmacharinis in residence.

Belgium:

  • Two Balinese Temples exist in the Pairi Daiza botanical garden in Belgium. The 4-hectare (9.9-acre) Kingdom of Ganesha, which was opened in 2009, is the largest Indonesian garden in Europe, and reproduces the plant life and feel of the Indonesian archipelago, particularly Bali.
  • HSS Belgium
  • The Hindu Forum of Belgium (HFB or FHB) was created by Hindu organisations in Belgium. It was launched on 16 March 2007 in Brussels.
  • Sanatan Dharma Sewa Parisad: This is the oldest Hindu cultural association in Belgium. Different Puja and praying are organized on special occasions like Shivaratri and Shravan month.
  • Jayatu Sanskritam: The Jayatu Sanskritam association works to promote Hindu traditional culture in Belgium. It was the main organizer of Shremad Bhagabat Mahapuran held in Leuven in 2011. It was a huge Mahayaga organized for the first time in Belgium and around 5000 devotees actively participated. Other associations like Sai Pariwar Belgium and Sanatan Dharma Sewa Parisad were actively present there.
  • Satya Sai Pariwar: This is a Hindu association of Nepalese people in Belgium.
  • Hindu Temple Brussels: Around the year 2000, Indian families who had migrated to Brussels (Belgium) used to gather together in a local church or school to worship and celebrate Maa Durga Jaagran. These families nurtured a dream to build and maintain a full-fledged Hindu Temple in Brussels. Although it seemed a far behind idea back then, over the years the Indian community grew and the Hindu Mandir Association held fundraisers to build the Temple. Through patience and planning, the soft opening ceremony for the Brussels Mandir was performed on 19 February 2012 with donation from the Indian community of Brussels who ardently wished to make this dream a reality. Services are every Sunday and special events take place for the major Hindu festivals at the Mandir in Evere (Brussels) 
  • ISKCON in Belgium: Bhaktivedanta College, the only Hindu Vaishnava university in Belgium. There are about 1,500 Hare Krishnas in Belgium. An ISKCON temple has been built in Septon-Durbuy and is known as Radhadesh. ISKCON centers have been established in Antwerp and Gent.
  • ISKCON has the following activities in Belgium: Antwerp, Ghent and ISKCON Radhadesh temple. This is the only proper ISKCON temple in Belgium. It includes:
    • The main temple, a grand structure where daily worship is performed and festivals are celebrated
    • Bhaktivedanta Library Services (BLS), a substantial library and research facility
    • Bhaktivedanta College, a religious denomination educational campus, the only Hindu Vaishnava university in Belgium
    • Radhadesh Govinda, the local edition of ISKCON’s Food for Life program
  • Two Balinese Temples exist in the Pairi Daiza botanical garden in Belgium. The 4-hectare (9.9-acre) Kingdom of Ganesha, which was opened in 2009, is the largest Indonesian garden in Europe, and reproduces the plant life and feel of the Indonesian archipelago, particularly Bali.

Czech Republic:

–       Czech Hindu Religious Society: The Česká Hinduistická Náboženská Společnost (Czech Hindu Religious Society) was registered as a religious community in 2002.

–       ISKCON became an officially recognized religion in 2002. It has four temples in the country. There are 200 devout followers of Hare Krishna in the Republic. The members of the Hare Krishna movement have been troubled by accusations of cult-like behaviour.

–       Vishva Nirmala Dharma: In 2007, Vishva Nirmala Dharma became a registered religious community in the country.

Denmark:

  • The first Hindus of Sri Lankan Tamil origin came in 1983 because of the escalating conflict in Sri Lanka. It was mostly men, and they were categorized as de facto refugees. Today they have married or have got the family, they had to leave to Denmark, and around half of the Tamils have been granted Danish citizenship.
  • There are five Hindu temples in Denmark. Two are consecrated Hindu temples, two are dedicated to Shri Ganesh and the other to the goddess Abirami and also an ISKCON temple.
  • There are 9 registered Hindu groups in Denmark, among which, is the organisation Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh

Hungary:

  • The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) runs the Bhaktivedanta Theological College in Hungary. The Hungarian government donated a building for the Bhaktivedanta Theological College.
  • The leaders of ISKCON mention 8,000-12,000 devotees living in Hungary.
    The biggest ISKCON centre in Hungary is the rural community located in Somogyvamos, a small village in south-western Hungary.
  • Hare Krishnas have eight centres in Hungary.
    • Nandafalva Hindu Temple: The temple is a brilliant fusion of Hungarian and Hindu architectural styles. It was built in 1979, Swami B.A. Narayan and his followers.
    • Krishna Valley: Krishna Valley is the ISKCON farm in Somogyvámos village in Hungary. It is 660-acre sustainable farm area which attracts thousands of tourists every year.
    • Brahma Kumaris Centres in Hungary: Brahma Kumaris have 4 Centres in Hungary

Republic of Ireland

  • Nivedita House (Ramakrishna Math and Mission),
  • Hare Krishna Cultural Centre (ISKCON)
  • Vinayaka Temple
  • Vedic Hindu Cultural Centre Ireland Temple
  • BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, Enfield, County Meath Hindu Temple and Indian Community Centre, Donegal

Northern Ireland

  • Laxmi-Narayan Mandir
  • Radha-Krishna Temple
  • Sri Sri Radha – Madhava Belfast Temple (ISKCON)
  • Sri Sri Radha Govinda Govindadwipa Temple Inis Rath Island (ISKCON)

Lithuania:

  • Hinduism is spread in Lithuania by Hindu organizations: ISKCON, Sathya Sai Baba, Brahma Kumaris and Osho Rajneesh. As of 2015, there were 580 (0.02%) Hindus in Lithuania.
  • ISKCON(Krišnos sąmonės judėjimas) the largest movement and oldest movement as the first Krishna followers date to 1979 and has three centres in Lithuania in Vilnius, Klaipėda and Kaunas.
  • Brahma Kumaris maintains the Centre Brahma Kumaris in Antakalnis, Vilnius.
  • According to a census in 2001, 265 people identified themselves as followers of Hare Krishna movement, 107 identified as Shri Sathya Sai Baba followers, and 12 identified as Osho Rajneesh movement.

Netherlands

  • The largest group of Hindus in the Netherlands is composed of immigrants, mainly from Surinambut with numbers also directly from India
  • Hare Krishna members celebrating in the Museumplein on Queensday in Amsterdam
  • The bulk of this population, around 80%, belong to the Sanatana dharma, whilst the remaining 20% belong to the sectarian Arya Samaj movement.
  • There are other groups belonging to the more recent “guru movements”, such as the Hare Krishnas or the Transcendental Meditation movement
  • There are five Hindu schools funded by the Hindu community in the country, which are deemed as national schools.
  • The Hindus have also established their own Human Rights group called ‘Agni’, in order to address the grievances of the community and to highlight the atrocities that are sometimes encountered by them. Besides hosting their own radio program, the Hindu community also used to broadcast its own 30 minute weekly program, ‘Ohm’, on the national television.

Ukraine:

  • As of January 1, 2006, twenty-nine Krishna Consciousness communities were registered. It has over 30 charitable missions (e.g., “Food for Life”) and has begun the construction of a school. ISKCON has 60 teaching centres and 15 God Krishna temples. It is estimated that ISKCON in Ukraine has 450 students, 8,000 active adherents, more than 300 clergy, and nearly 40,000 adherents.
  • Sahaja Yoga, Vasudeva Yoga Association of Ukraine and Ashtanga Yoga Club of Ukraine are some Organisations in Ukraine teaching Yoga.
  • International Federation of Yoga CAS (Vajra Yoga) is present in Kyiv as well. It is mainly focused on the correct approach to the spine in asanas. There are classes for both beginners and advanced yoga students. Some Vajra Yoga teachers give courses in English. Its two main studios, Vajra and India Club, are located in the city center.

Norway

  • There are around 90,000 Hindus in norway as of 2020
  • 75% of those are ethnically Tamil Hindus
  • There are numerous Hindu associations in Norway:
    • Sanatan Mandir Sabha is a Hindu religious association in eastern Norway with around 900 members. The Sanatan Mandir Sabha SMS was registered on April 14, 1988.
    • Tamil Cultural center for children who were born in or who have immigrated to Norway exists in Norway. This center has the following activities:
  • There are currently 5 Hindu Temples in Norway
    • Sanatan Mandir Sabha Temple is located at Slemmestad, outside of Oslo. It was the first registered Hindu religious community or temple in Norway
    • Hindu Sanatan Mandir Temple is located in Drammen
    • The Sivasubramanayr Alaym (also known as the Norwegian Hindu Centre) in Ammerud
    • The Bergen Hindu Sabha in Danmarksplass 
    • Sri Tiller Ganesha Temple in Trondheim

Spain

–       There are also about 40 Hindu temples/worship-places in Spain. The first Hindu temple in Ceuta city was completed in 2007.

–       There are ISKCON Krishna Temples in Barcelona, Madrid, Malaga, Tenerife and Brihuega along with a Krishna restaurant in Barcelona.

Federación Hindú de España (FHE): FHE was formed in 2017. Its goals include uniting Hindus and promoting and defending Hinduism. It also seeks to challenge and correct academic misrepresentation of Hinduism