India’s temple tradition finds a new home in France

Members of the Indian diaspora in France on Thursday announced that the country will soon have its first traditional Hindu temple, with its inauguration scheduled for September.

Speaking to IANS, members of the Indian community expressed pride over the development.

Bhavi Parekh, a member of the Indian diaspora, said, “We are feeling very proud after welcoming Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Another major occasion for us is the opening of France’s first traditional Hindu temple in September. We welcome everyone to visit. The speciality of this temple is that it has been crafted in India and assembled in France.”

Another member of the Indian diaspora associated with BAPS said the temple is being built using stones sourced from India. “The temple has been made in India and built in France. We invite people from France, India, and the Hindu community worldwide to visit. A 15-day programme will be organised here in September, and everyone is welcome to attend,” he said.

After concluding a successful round of meetings at the G7 Summit in France's Evian, PM Modi arrived in Paris on Thursday morning, where he received a 'warm welcome' from the Indian diaspora living here. The Prime Minister said that he was "proud of the Indian community's efforts in bringing India and France closer to each other".

He also added that the "India-France partnership is vital for the progress of the planet Earth".

Taking to his official social media platform X, Prime Minister Modi wrote: "Reached Paris a short while ago to a warm welcome by the Indian diaspora. I am proud of their efforts in bringing India and France closer. The India-France partnership is vital for the progress of our planet."

Earlier on Wednesday evening, PM Modi said he had a productive round of meetings and interactions at the G7 Summit in Evian, where he presented India's views on governance, policy-making and the importance of working closely with the Global South to ensure global prosperity.

PM Modi noted that the discussions at the summit provided an opportunity to highlight India’s efforts in key areas of governance and to emphasize the role of the Global South in shaping a more equitable international order.