After seeing a few photos and hearing that Sri Suva Subramaniya Temple,
in Nadi, is the largest Hindu temple in the southern hemisphere I considered it
a ‘must see’ on a recent trip to Fiji, both because I was interested in the structure
as a Hindu place of worship and also because, according to what I knew at that
time, it seemed a little out of place in Fiji. The island nation proved itself
to be a fascinating melting pot of people, culture and religion however and a
visit to the temple is a great way to learn about Fiji’s Hindu culture.
The Indian population of Fiji
Before visiting Fiji I expected the majority of Fijians to be south pacific
islanders by origin. A little pre-trip research informed me an Indian
population remained in Fiji, following the introduction of Indians to Fiji to
work on the sugar can plantations. However, I was still surprised at the sheer
number of Indian faces I met and saw in Nadi. I don’t know
why I was so surprised really as the construction of large temples is often
indicative of a large following in the local area. I must have not given it
quite enough thought!
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| Statue detail at Sri Suva Subramaniye Temple, Nadi, Fiji |
Traditional architecture
Sri Suva Subramaniya is a peaceful haven away from the chaos of the
shops and traffic in modern day Nadi. The temple brings bright colours and
characterful depictions of deities to the southern end of town. It is one of
the few places outside India where it is possible to see traditional Dravidian
architecture. The artists that completed the paintings came from India,
bringing with them the wooden carvings of deities that feature in the intricate
designs of the temple.
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| Incredible detail at Sri Suva Subramaniye Temple, Nadi, Fiji |
Hindu Gods
Sri Suva Subramaniya temple is dedicated to the deity Murugan and
consists of three parts. The main part of the temple complex honours Murugan
while the others are the Ganesh temple and Meenakshi and Shiva temple. While
the temple is a place of worship, with each feature’s dimensions having
specific religious meanings, it is also an extremely artful, colourful and
inspiring building, especially if you look up towards the ceiling in the main complex.
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| Paintings on the ceiling of the main temple complex, Sri Suva Subramaniye Temple, Fiji |
Guidance for visitors
In exchange for a $5 Fijian entry fee, I was provided with an
information brochure when I arrived at the temple, which explained what some of
the paintings depicted. I was otherwise left to wander around myself. The only
place that was strictly off-limits to non-devotees was the inner sanctum of the
main temple and I was asked to be respectful when using my camera and limit
photographs to being taken from the outer perimeter of the main complex.
