Community
Who we are
One faith, many homelands – all part of Belgium. The Hindu community of Belgium is small but plural, deeply integrated, and richly diverse. Here is who you’ll meet at Hindu Temple Belgium.
We are now officially the fastest-growing religion in the country. We are doctors and engineers, parents and grandparents, students and entrepreneurs – and we come from many different cultures and traditions within Hindu dharma. The temple we are building belongs to all of us.
Where
Until our temple is built, we gather at community venues across Flemish Brabant. Most of our events take place at G.C. Colomba, GC De Maalderij and Hoeve Nothengem, with smaller gatherings hosted in private homes and in partner halls across Brussels, Leuven and Antwerp. Our families are spread across Brussels, Antwerp, Leuven, Mechelen, Bruges, Zaventem, Kortenberg – and we travel to be together.
Welcome
Whatever your origin, whatever your tradition, whatever language you speak – if you find meaning in Hindu dharma, or are simply curious about it, you are welcome at Hindu Temple Belgium. We are family in the spirit of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, and our family is open.
Community
Festivals
A living calendar of devotion – already drawing families from across Belgium and beyond. Each year we gather for:
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Satyanaraya Vratham
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Varalakshmi Vratham
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Sri Krishna Ashtami
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Ganesh Utsav - Belgium Cha Raja
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Dashera
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Kartik Purnima
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Rudrabhishekam and Kumkumarchana
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Mahashivaratri Mahotsavam
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VARI Vittala Padukulu welcoming
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Sri Srinivasa Kalyana Mahotsavam
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Sri Shirdi Sai Sansthan celebrations
Diwali, Holi, Navratri and many regional festivals also bring us together throughout the year – open to neighbours and friends of every background.
roots
Indian roots
The board of Hindu Temple Belgium is composed of representatives from multiple Indian states. This is a deliberate choice: India is not one culture but a federation of cultures, and we want every member of our community to recognise themselves in the people who lead the project.
South-central India. Capital Hyderabad. Telugu-speaking, with a rich tradition of devotional music, Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi dance, and famous temples such as Bhadrachalam and Yadagirigutta. Our Telangana community in Belgium gathers regularly for Bonalu, Bathukamma and the great Telugu festivals.
South-eastern India along the Bay of Bengal. Telugu-speaking, with the world-renowned Tirumala Venkateswara temple at its spiritual heart. The Andhra community in Belgium is one of the most active, organising annual Sri Srinivasa Kalyana Mahotsavam, Varalakshmi Vratham and Satyanaraya Vratham.
Southern India. Tamil-speaking. Home of Dravidian temple architecture and a continuous spiritual tradition stretching back two thousand years. From the Brihadeeswara temple at Thanjavur to the Meenakshi temple at Madurai, Tamil Hindu culture is one of the world’s great living religious traditions. In Belgium, the Tamil community brings Murugan, Shiva and devotional Bhakti music to our gatherings.
South-western India. Kannada-speaking, with Bangalore at its heart and the great temples of Hampi and Udupi as spiritual landmarks. Karnataka has given the world the Madhva and Sringeri schools of Vedanta philosophy. Our Karnataka community celebrates Krishna Janmashtami, Gokulashtami and Mysuru Dasara with particular devotion.
Western India. Marathi-speaking. Home of the Ashtavinayak Ganesha temples and the great Bhakti saints – Tukaram, Jnaneshwar, Eknath. Maharashtra gave us Ganesh Utsav as a community festival, and our Marathi pathak (procession group) in Belgium leads the annual Ganesh Utsav celebration each year – Belgium Cha Raja.
Western India. Gujarati-speaking, ancient coastal temples of Dwarka and Somnath as spiritual landmarks. Gujarat has given the world the rich traditions of Vaishnavism, Jain philosophy, and the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi. Our Gujarati community celebrates Navratri with vibrant Garba and Dandiya Raas, alongside the colorful festival of Uttarayan (Kite Festival) and Diwali, with immense devotion and community spirit.
Eastern India. Bengali-speaking. Home of Kali, of Tagore, of an extraordinary tradition of poetry, music and devotional cinema. Bengali Hindus celebrate Durga Puja as their great festival of the year, and the Bengali community in Belgium is small but vibrant, drawing devotees from across northern Europe.
Eastern India along the Bay of Bengal. Odia-speaking. Home of the Jagannath temple at Puri and the Sun temple at Konark. The Odia community brings Jagannath Rath Yatra, Raja Parba and Kartik Purnima to our calendar – and a deep tradition of Odissi classical dance.
Beyond India
Hindu dharma is not the heritage of one country. Our Belgian community draws from many homelands beyond India, each bringing its own traditions, languages and forms of devotion.
Approximately 8,000 strong, the Nepalese are the largest Hindu group in Belgium. Many work in healthcare, hospitality and IT. Nepalese Hindus bring devotion to Pashupatinath, the great festivals of Dashain and Tihar, and a deep tradition of Newar and Sherpa religious culture.
A significant and long-established community in Belgium. Sri Lankan Tamils bring the Saiva Siddhanta tradition, Murugan devotion, and the great Tamil festivals of Thai Pongal, Maha Sivaratri and Thaipusam. They are also active across Hindu communities throughout Europe.
Hindus from Indonesia practising the distinctive Agama Hindu Dharma tradition of Bali. Their presence in Belgium is celebrated at the Pura Agung Shanti Buwana temple at Pairi Daiza – a public reminder that Hindu dharma reaches far beyond India.
Descendants of the Indian indentured labourers brought to Suriname in the 19th century, the Surinamese Hindustani community has been part of the wider Hindu diaspora of the Netherlands, Belgium and the Caribbean for generations. They speak Sarnami Hindi alongside Dutch.
Hindus from Mauritius, descendants of indentured labourers from many parts of India, bringing the unique syncretic Hindu culture of the Indian Ocean and a passion for music and festival celebration.
A small but cherished community – Hindus from Afghanistan with their own traditions, language and devotional songs. Their presence at our gatherings is a reminder that Hindu dharma was once present across vast stretches of central Asia.
Belgians and other Europeans who have embraced Hindu spirituality, often through yoga, ISKCON, or the broader Hindu philosophical tradition. They are full members of our community and a quiet reminder that dharma is universal.
Languages
Dutch and French are our public languages – the languages in which we contribute to Belgium. English is our shared working language. Sanskrit is our sacred language. And at home and at festivals, we speak Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Marathi, Bangla, Odia, Nepali, Sinhala, Sarnami, Balinese, Pashto and more. Our temple will reflect this: services and lectures will be offered in multiple languages, and the great mantras will always be in Sanskrit.
