Sacred Minnesota
Hindu Temple in Old Church Welcomes All
3/10/2021 | 2mVideo has Closed Captions
A Hindu temple in an old Farmington church blends many cultures and welcomes everyone.
Indentured servitude replaced slavery when it was abolished across the British Empire. Laborers from India found themselves in South America and the Caribbean. Some Guyanese Indians now call Minnesota home, bringing their Indo-Caribbean culture with them. Their sacred Hindu temple is an old Lutheran Church in Farmington, Minnesota, and it's a welcome place for all. Produced with Carleton College.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Sacred Minnesota is a local public television program presented by TPT
Sacred Minnesota
Hindu Temple in Old Church Welcomes All
3/10/2021 | 2mVideo has Closed Captions
Indentured servitude replaced slavery when it was abolished across the British Empire. Laborers from India found themselves in South America and the Caribbean. Some Guyanese Indians now call Minnesota home, bringing their Indo-Caribbean culture with them. Their sacred Hindu temple is an old Lutheran Church in Farmington, Minnesota, and it's a welcome place for all. Produced with Carleton College.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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- [Satya] My forefathers, they were brought to Guyana, as indentured servants.
They didn't use the word slaves, but in essence that's what it was.
A replacement of slavery in the West Indies.
- [Ramsahai] Our foreparents went to Guyana in 1838 but they took with them with their culture and their religion.
Many of us emigrated to the United States.
We wanted to continue to practice our culture and our religion.
- [Satya] Here in Eagan, this is a small space.
We used to cram about 75 people in there.
- [Cepaul] But I'll tell you, you walked in, you feel that in the house of God.
It was welcoming!
- [Satya] We spent 12 years in this garage.
- [Cepaul] Eight years ago, we came across this facility and then we bought it.
- [Satya] The building in Farmington was in a distressed state.
We had to make that livable.
- [Michelle] The instruments are fun.
- [Damien] Yeah, there's- - [Michelle] Bells... - [Damien] like, um, drums There's these things where you like tap on your hand and they like, make weird noises.
- [Sandra] It's a place for serenity, peace, and to feel blessed, to feel peace within yourselves.
- [Cepaul] You feel welcome.
And of course with that, you welcome people.
- [Damien] It's great to see new people- - [Michelle] And make friends.
- [Cepaul] The Mandir is a meeting place for people of different walks of life.
We all want to find God.
- [Sakhi] God is one.
And they are just aspects of their God.
- [Prabhat] In this temple, there's an emphasis on the Guru.
- [Sandra] They have faith and confidence of that spiritual master.
- [Ramsahai] God exists in every living thing.
So there's no discrimination.
The doors are open to any group of people.
- [Satya] In Minnesota, we have created our own India here.
- [Female Speaker] Funding for this content is provided by:
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Sacred Minnesota is a local public television program presented by TPT