Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Really Impressed with The Neasden Temple
Over the weekend I ticked a couple of things off the list that I've been meaning to do for a while.
One of those things was the temple at Neasden.
Apart from the remarkably fine architecture and the wonderful sense of being transported to the sub-continent, the story behind how the temple was built and is maintained is a great lesson to us all. Our guide explained that the temple was built and is maintained 100% on donation and voluntary labour. "It just goes to show", he said, "a community can achieve anything if it sets its mind to it".
Quite! So we have no excuse then.
Oh, and do visit the temple it's wonderful!
See the website here.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by pamish on
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I seem to remember that the owners were prosecuted for paying their labourers ten pounds a day - ie not the mnimum wage - they were specialist stone carvers etc brought over from India and kept in essentially indentured labour conditions. They didnt know any difference re UK law & conditions as they never got to see anything other than the bit of temple wall they were working on... Are they really still claiming that charity and voluntary labour built it, when they were busted for illegal employment practice?
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Permalink Reply by Hugh on
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You sure about this Pamish? I did a Google search and couldn't find anything. It'd be good if we can be sure about the facts around this.
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There's a memory in there somewhere but I can't find a reference either. have to ask the world at large. One thing from searching is that the stones were carved in India, then shipped over here to be asembled jigsaw-style. So maybe the wages were local to India ... there was deffo some scandal.
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Permalink Reply by ElleCarumba on
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http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2000/dec/12/jeevanvasagar
Assuming the temple is the same one (the Guardian says Wembley rather than Neasden), then yes, they were prosecuted for paying their Indian stonemasons 30pence an hour. However, the good news is they were forced to make up the difference in backpay and so the stonemasons did go home in the end having earned the minimum wage.
It is an amazing building.
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