I am devoted to my little digital camera, but it really needs a sunny day to produce good results. Well, it was a sunny day in Leicester, so here is a shot of the Jain Temple in Oxford Street.
Jainism is one of the world's oldest faiths. It is followed by several million people in India and by sizeable numbers of migrant Jains in Europe, East Africa and North America. But as far as I am aware this is the only Jain temple in Britain. Read more on the temple's own website.
As that excellent publication Where Leicester has Worshipped reveals, the temple was originally a Congregational chapel and then a United Reform church. The Jains moved to Oxford Street in 1984 and the temple was officially opened in 1988.
There's a Jain Temple in Manchester, in Levenshulme, with a lovely bit of stained glass. Been to many non-meat-eating but splendid community events there.
ReplyDeletePresumably the decorative elements in your photo postdate the Congregationalist period?
ReplyDeleteI'm told there is also one in Potter's Bar. Great photo though.
ReplyDeleteI have also visited this centre not on such a sunny day
ReplyDeletehttp://martinbrookes.blogspot.com/2010/09/jain-centre-leicester-church-of-jesus.html