Taiwan gets its first-ever Hindu temple with the inauguration of ‘Sabka Mandir’ in Taipei

In a landmark development that further deepens Taiwan’s cultural ties with India, a Hindu temple named “Sabka Mandir” has opened in Taipei, the capital. It marks a significant milestone specifically, for the Indian expat community residing in the country and also to strengthen the people-to-people connection between the two Asian nations. In the middle of this remarkable achievement is Andy Singh Arya, owner of a renowned Indian restaurant in Taiwan and an Indian expatriate who’s been living in the country for almost two decades.

First Hindu temple in Taiwan

Sharing some pictures of the newly-built temple in a Facebook post, Andy wrote, “23 years ago I was looking for a Hindu temple in Taiwan when I was alone and in dark nights with no hope. I didn’t know Bhagwan [God] will choose me to be a sevak of [the] first Indian temple in Taiwan [Sabka Mandir]. 2023 is [a] remarkable year for the first Indian temple of Taiwan. Sevak Andy just brought the stares, but the wall is [the] community who supported this to happen.”

Sana Hashmi, an Indian national currently residing in Taiwan, expressed her delight, and told the media, “The establishment of this temple underscores Taiwan’s deep commitment to fostering a harmonious relationship with the Indian community in India.”

Dr. Priya Lalwani Purswaney, the founder of IIT-Indians in Taiwan, highlighted the resonance of this development, emphasising that it resonates not only with Indians residing in Taiwan but also with Taiwanese citizens who recognise the need for such a space. 

The inauguration of the temple can be defined as a historic moment in the cultural narrative of India-Taiwan relations. The inaugural ceremony finds itself against the backdrop of ever-expanding diplomatic endeavours between India and Taiwan. Taiwan’s plans to establish the Taipei Economic and Cultural Center in Mumbai, along with an impending migration pact, also highlight the nations’ commitment to enhanced cooperation with India. This temple also comes at a time when there is a rapid economic collaboration taking place between the two nations, with active bilateral trade and investments in sectors like technology, healthcare, and transportation.

There have been other places of worship for the Indian community around Taipei, but this newly built temple is the first of its kind.

History of temples Hindu in Taiwan

Apparently, while “Sabka Mandir” is being billed as Taiwan’s first Hindu temple where the Indian community can gather, the country already had an ISKCON temple and a Lord Ganesha Temple, but most of them were seen as more popular with the Thai nationals residing there, some housed idols of only a few gods and were not always open to all.

In the 1970s, the Indians Association of Taipei (IAT) set up a club premises that houses a temple with most Hindu deities but only its members were allowed to pay a visit, which meant only a couple of hundred out of the over 5,000 Indians in Taiwan have access to the temple.

Many years later, ISKCON also established its presence in Taipei with the opening up of a Shri Krishna Temple, with a beautiful altar. While the temple welcomes everyone, it is dedicated only to some specific deities and gurus and is open only on certain days of the week.

There is another place in Taipei managed by a local Indian lady where people could go to worship Shirdi Sai Baba and Jhoolelal. It has a huge statue of Sai Baba and is fondly referred to as Sai Mandir. Sindhi Chand is organized there regularly.

Though they have a very important role in the lives of many Indians living in Taiwan, all three places mentioned above are located in the living rooms of apartments on various floors of normal buildings, so they look nothing like a temple from the outside.

Taiwan’s Jain community also built a lovely Jain Temple some years ago which actually has an entrance at the ground level, but it’s not open daily and does not have other deities. There are also a few Thai Ganesh temples around Taiwan which are always open and welcome everyone, but they do not really look like the Indian temples and follow a different ritual.

These are the reasons why Hindus residing in Taiwan had been waiting and praying for an Indian temple that everyone could visit whenever they wanted. ‘Sabka Mandir’ is the first Indian temple of that kind. It is on the ground level, open daily for everyone and actually looks like a temple belonging to the Sanatan Dharma where religion is a big part of the culture for its followers.

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