Source: WebIndia123.com
Wire Service: IANS
http://news.webindia123.com/news/showdetails.asp?id=81903&cat=World
On May 13, 2005 the Indo-Asian News Service reported, "Hindi, Gujarati and Tamil speaking Hindus celebrated a decade of unity in a South African town as they marked the 10th anniversary of a temple where they have prayed together. The small Hindu community lives in the township of Roshnee, some 70 km south of here. The Roshnee Siva Soobramaniar Alayam has served the religious needs of Hindus there since its inception. The Alayam is believed to be unique in South Africa in that it is the only temple that was designed from the start to cater for Tamil, Hindi and Gujarati speaking Hindus. Joint services there are conducted in all three languages. 'This has been the biggest strength of our Alayam - our versatile approach that ensures that nobody is left out, as there have always been excellent relations between the different linguistic groups in Roshnee even before the temple was built in 1995,' Percy Mestry, chairman of the Vereeniging Tamil Association, told IANS. In 1995, these communities came together to build the multilingual worship centre because none of them could afford to construct exclusive ones."