About Us
Below are some points that Blackburn Hindu Centre are about and what it aims to achieve.
- We celebrate Ramnavmi, Janmasthami, Navratri (up to six nights) and of course, Diwali ‘Festival of Light’ on a yearly basis.
- From 1983 to 1998 the centre successfully held Gujarati classes, thanks to its dedicated staff.
- When opportunities arise, Saints and Gurus are invited to address the local community with religious discourses and meetings.
- We invites professional dramatic groups from India to perform at local theatre / halls to entertain the Indian community from in and around this town.
- A storage room was kindly allocated to the Centre by the Bangor Street Community Association to store a variety of artefacts, materials, utensils, musical instruments and PA system for the community use. We now share this room with the Jansari society as well with similar requirements.
- We have purchased six plots in the cemetery in the early seventies to cater for the infants under five who according to our scriptures could not be cremated. We had 4 unfortunate cases of Infant death over the past 27 years.
- We organise regular summer trips to various locations in this country, which have proved very popular amongst the members and their families.
- Amongst the places visited over the years include a trip to Alton Towers, the Lake District, Blackpool illuminations, Thorpe Park, American Adventure, Fouldridge Canal, various garden festivals and theme parks, a pilgrimage to five Hindu Temples, i.e. Birmingham, Coventry, Luton, Neasden and Watford. In the year 1998 for the first time the centre organised a trip abroad to Paris & Disneyland to celebrate our 25th Anniversary. This trip was a huge success.
- Another special event was a Rangoli Exhibition (ladies producing patterns using coloured powders, lentils and household materials) which was staged at the Blackburn Museum until early November 1998.
- The centre also participated with Alf Wright’s ever-popular ‘Afternoon Music Hall’ a Blackburn with Darwen community special with Anglo-Asian entertainment for elder citizens of the local community. It was staged successfully at the Blakeys Cafe Bar in October 1998.
- For the first time in 1998 was a ten members trip to the BBC Birmingham Studios to participate as the audience in the recording of Network East Programme which was shown on BBC 2.
- In 1999 and 2000 the centre organised a trip for community members to Spain.