Staff Reporter
Amidst all the efforts undertaken by members of various communities in New Zealand to promote their respective places of worship, those exercised by Pravin Kumar (Managing Director of Lotus Foreign Exchange) are truly outstanding.
For the past four years, his sole mission in life has been to complete the Sri Ram Mandir Project in West Auckland.
Located at 11 Brick Street in Henderson, the Project will accommodate a Temple for Lord Rama (an incarnation of Lord Vishnu) and other facilities for the community.
Great efforts
The multi-million dollar Complex has been a challenge for Mr Kumar, a Chartered Accountant and a Senior Member of the Financial Services Institute of Australasia. The Project has registered impressive progress, thanks to his efforts, money and most important of all, ability to mobilise public support.
As well as a Board of Trustees (of Sri Ram Mandir Trust) comprising people of integrity who inspire confidence, a number of others have been helping Mr Kumar realise his dream of creating a complex that the community can call its own.
Significant Day
November 30, 2014 will be marked as a day of great significance for Mr Kumar, the Trust, the Temple Project and for hundreds of others who undertook a marathon walk covering 35 kms, starting from Ramakrishna Mandir in the South Auckland suburb of Papatoetoe.
Three Phases
Flagged off with a speech by National MP Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi (in the presence of his wife Irvinder Kaur and other supporters), the group commenced the first phase of its charity walk covering 12.5 kms through Onslow Avenue and old Mangere Bridge to reach Sri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple on Princess Street in Onehunga.
Following prayers and felicitations by Bhaskar Reddy (Shirdi Saibaba Temple President) and Mahesh Bindra (New Zealand First MP), the group commenced its second phase of 6.9 kms arriving about an hour and half later at Bharatiya Mandir in Balmoral. They were received by businessman Roshan Nauhria and Dr Parmjeet Parmar (National MP).
The third phase of 6.9 kms took the group a further hour and a half and as they reached Food 4 Less Supermarket in New Lynn, they were received by owner Romit Prakash, Labour MP Phil Twyford, Whau Local Board Member Ami Chand and others.
The fourth and final phase took the group two hours to cover 9.3 kms through to the construction site of Sri Ram Mandir.
Warm Welcome
The MPs who had seen there at various points earlier in the day were present along with Alfred Ngaro (National MP), Auckland City Councillor Linda Cooper and members of the community.
“It was a long walk but we created history. We are grateful to so many people who made this event possible, especially to Dr Ajay Kumar and his medical team, ready to provide any assistance. A support bus followed us all the way to offer relief to tired volunteers. The teamwork, awareness, community spirit and partnership built along the way were priceless,” Mr Kumar said.
He said that the primary objective of the marathon was to engage with the wider community, celebrate diversity and promote multiculturalism.
Photo : Devotees and supporters at Sri Ram Mandir Temple Complex, Henderson. Pravin Kumar is standing fourth from right.
