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Fireworks lit up the night sky over Wolverhampton on November 1st 2005. By 7pm, a steady stream of worshippers were making their way through the Shree Krishnan Mandir gates. Families and friends left their shoes in the racks near the entrance before making their way up the stairs to the large prayer room.
 | | Lighting a candle |
Reena Combo, editor of Desi Xpress newspaper, was among the worshippers at the bustling temple. She said:听鈥淚t鈥檚 Diwali today, the festival of light. It鈥檚 like the Sikh and Hindu New Year today, so we鈥檙e celebrating a new era. 鈥淭oday families come over, eat lots of food and wish each other a prosperous new year. But the important part is going to your local temple, whether it鈥檚 a Hindu Mandir or a Sikh Gudwara. 鈥淵ou light a candle to give your blessing to God, to celebrate the fact that it鈥檚 the festival of lights. You go upstairs and get your blessing. Then we congregate with the rest of the community.鈥
 | | Shree Krishnan Mandir |
In the prayer room families sat quietly, cross legged. Many queued to light a candle. Downstairs, in the ground floor hall, food was being served. General Secretary of the temple, Mr Tirathram Bhardwaj: 鈥淭hey will come in hundreds, from various parts of Wolverhampton because this is the first purpose built temple in the West Midlands. They don鈥檛 come in twenties or tens 鈥 they come in hundreds. 鈥淚鈥檝e been here since the very inception [of the temple], for 26 or 27 years. I was the first person who really dug the foundations, with other community leaders as well.
 | | Mr Tirathram Bhardwaj |
鈥淧eople are now very much aware. If you look, now, in our main hall, you will find many different types of people, not just from the Hindu community. Everybody is over here to celebrate Diwali. 鈥淒iwali is a very joyous occasion, because on this particular day, our Lord Rama came from exile. He was exiled for 14 years, so today he came to his kingdom and people were overjoyed to see him. 鈥淒iwali always happens in dark nights, early November, so that鈥檚 why people show the path [with candles and fireworks] to Lord Rama, to the kingdom.鈥
 | | W'ton's Mayor at the opening |
This Diwali was extra-special for the Shree Krishnan temple because it was the day that they opened their long-awaited library. It鈥檚 possibly the first temple library in the UK, its creation and organisation has been supported by Wolverhampton City Council. Dignitaries from the council attended the Diwali celebrations and the opening ceremony of the new learning centre. After making their offering, Reena Combo and family were making their way home. 鈥淲e all prayed for a good new year." said Reena.
 | | Lighting a candle |
"Obviously it鈥檚 been a bad year, all over the world since Christmas, since the tsunami, and we鈥檙e just praying now that everything goes well, not just here in England, or in Asia, but all over the world.鈥 Devi, Reena鈥檚 aunt added: 鈥淗appy Diwali to everybody!鈥 | 
