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BAHRAIN’S historic 200-year-old Hindu temple in the Old Manama Suq has been given the green light to undergo an almost BD2 million ($5m) upgrade and multi-use transformation starting in the new year.
Housing and Urban Planning Minister Amna Al Romaihi issued an edict in the latest edition of the Official Gazette to grant the existing property ‘Special Project’ status, which allows it an exemption from regular building requirements.
The decision follows a unanimous approval by the Capital Trustees Board for the new classification replacing its previous part resident/part unregistered status which would have delayed or even thwarted plans to revamp the Shree Krishna Temple.
Under residential classification there are height and construction limitations, as well as road and car parking restrictions. While, in the case of unclassified land, no buildings are allowed.
Britain’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla visited the temple in November 2016 alongside His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and the original designs for renovating it were unveiled three years later, with visiting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurating the project proposals.
The plans were stalled, however, like many projects, due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and have only now started to ‘pick up pace’, according to owners, The Thattai Hindu Merchants Community (THMC) and the Thattai Hindu Community (THC) which is responsible for its day-to-day operations.
The revamped temple will include two impressive state-of-the-art halls, three meditation areas, offices, a knowledge centre and a museum, in a three-storey structure.
The new look temple will have 80 per cent more capacity, alongside accommodation facilities for guests and visiting priests.
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