The president of the Hindu Society of Alberta says he is “still recovering from the shock” of learning his organization’s temple in north Edmonton caught on fire early Thursday morning.
“We were deeply shocked when we got a call from the fire department,” Rajeev Arora said, adding that the temple, located at 14225 133 Ave., has a long history in Alberta’s capital. “(It is) one of the first Hindu temples in Alberta.
“Every Sunday we are here to serve the community and it’s almost a second home to us.”
Edmonton Fire Rescue Services (EFRS) said crews were called to the temple at 3:35 a.m.
“At this time, there have been no injuries reported,” an EFRS spokesperson said in an email to Global News on Thursday morning.
EFRS did not provide a damage estimate and said the fire will be investigated. The fire was deemed under control just after 6:30 a.m. and was declared out shortly after noon.
Arora said he drove to the temple at 5 a.m. to provide information to EFRS to help with their investigation. He said while he is still awaiting an update from EFRS, he has received indications the damage on the inside could be extensive.
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“Outside it’s not looking bad,” he said.
Arora said his organization is grateful for the support it has already received from the local community. He said the Hindu Society of Alberta has between 1,200 and 1,400 members, and that the temple is a place where people attend prayer sessions, language classes, dance classes and more.
Shiv Shankar Dwivedi is a priest at the temple and spoke to reporters outside as fire crews continued their work.
“This is a hard time for the community, for the devotees,” he acknowledged, before adding that “the community is very strong and united.”
He said he has been a priest at the temple for more than 35 years and noted hundreds of people show up at the building each Sunday.
While the extent of the damage still needs to be determined, Dwivedi said even if the physical damage is there, “emotionally, spiritually, everything will be the same.”
–with files from Kabi Moulitharan, Global News
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