Boasting two prayer rooms, a research library and overnight accommodation the Gurdwara Baba Budha Ji, in Haydn Road, will be open to worshippers and the general public seven days a week.
The new site is seven times bigger than the temple’s old location in Gladstone Street, Radford and now has a maximum capacity of 600 people.
Funded entirely from donations from across the globe, it took around a year for the money to be raised. The property - which previously housed offices - was then gutted and over the course of just 18 weeks was completely refurbished. Temple president Serbjit Landa, told the Post he was overwhelmed by people’s generosity and now hopes the whole community will benefit from the facilities on site.
He said: “We’ve had donations from people in the Sikh community and non-Sikhs too which has been incredibly touching.
“All Sikhs are instructed to donate ten per cent of their net income to their faith, lots and lots of Sikhs do this but some may donate just a few pounds and others tens of thousands.”
He added: “We want this building to be open to everyone. Anyone who wants to learn about India or Sikhism can use the library and everyone is welcome to come to our kitchen and have some food. It is run entirely by volunteers and if anyone is in need in the community they can come here and we can try and help them get back on their feet.
“We also have overnight accommodation here too, as well as showers. A complete recital of Sikh scripture takes 48 hours so it means people have somewhere to stay now.”
Established in 1985 the temple was originally located in a small property in Albany Road, just off Sherwood rise. However, within just three years the rapidly expanding congregation had out grown its old home and moved to the Radford site where it stayed for 28 years.
More than 300 worshippers took part in a processions from the old building to the new site on Saturday, April 12, which included singing, scattering flowers and music.
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