Southern Hemisphere's Largest Hindu Temple Opens in Johannesburg as PM Modi Meets Indian Diaspora
Johannesburg's Indian community marked two significant milestones in 2025 and 2026: the opening of the largest Hindu temple in the Southern Hemisphere at the BAPS Swaminarayan complex in Northriding, and a vibrant reception for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to the city. Together with the annual Diwali celebrations at BAPS, these events underscored the cultural and institutional vitality of South Africa's Indian diaspora.
🪔 Biggest Hindu Temple in Southern Hemisphere Opens at BAPS Complex in Northriding, Johannesburg
The BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha opened the first phase of its temple and cultural complex in Northriding, Johannesburg in February 2025, marking what was described as the largest Hindu temple in the Southern Hemisphere. Spanning more than nine acres, the complex features a 27,000 square-foot temple crafted with traditional Indian architectural techniques, alongside a cultural center dedicated to learning and community service. Eco-friendly construction methods were emphasized throughout, with a focus on water efficiency and solar readiness. The South African newspaper and Hindu Press International covered the opening as a milestone for Hindu communities across Africa. The BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, a global spiritual and humanitarian organization, operates temples across Africa with a significant concentration in South Africa. The Northriding complex is intended to serve as a hub for faith, education, and social upliftment for the country's South Asian population, which traces its presence in South Africa back more than 150 years to the indentured laborers brought to KwaZulu-Natal by the British colonial administration. Community leaders described the temple as a place honoring both the sacred traditions of the faith and the diversity of the modern South African city in which it stands. [3]
🗳️ PM Modi Deeply Touched by Warm Welcome from Indian Community in Johannesburg
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed being deeply touched by the warm welcome he received from the Indian diaspora community in Johannesburg during his visit to South Africa, DD News reported. Modi met with members of the Indian community gathered to greet him and conveyed personal appreciation for the reception. The visit highlighted the strong ties between India and its diaspora in South Africa, where people of Indian origin number approximately 1.3 million and have maintained cultural, religious, and economic connections to the subcontinent across generations. Modi's South Africa engagement was part of a broader diplomatic itinerary that included participation in the G20 summit hosted in Johannesburg. The Indian community turned out in significant numbers for public events and community gatherings associated with the visit. The prime minister's meetings with diaspora communities are a regular feature of his foreign travel, aimed at reinforcing connections between India and the estimated 30 million members of the global Indian diaspora. South Africa's Indian community, concentrated in KwaZulu-Natal and major cities including Johannesburg and Cape Town, has maintained a distinctive cultural identity blending South Asian heritage with deep African roots. [2]
🎉 BAPS Johannesburg Marks Diwali and Annakut Celebrations 2025
The BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha in Johannesburg observed Diwali and Annakut celebrations in October and November 2025, bringing together members of the Hindu community for one of the faith's most significant annual festivals. Diwali, the festival of lights, and Annakut — in which hundreds of food items are offered before the deity — are observed by BAPS temples worldwide as occasions for communal worship, cultural gathering, and charitable activity. The Johannesburg celebrations drew attendees from across the city's South Asian community and marked another year in which the BAPS temple served as a focal point for South African Hindu religious life. The Northriding complex, which opened its first phase in early 2025, provided a grander setting for the 2025 celebrations than had previously been available to the congregation. Photographs of the gathering shared by the BAPS organization captured the festive scale and the spirit of community participation. The Diwali celebrations in Johannesburg have grown in visibility and attendance as the city's South Asian population has expanded and as the BAPS temple has raised the community's public profile. [1]
🤝 Indian Diaspora Gives Vibrant Welcome to PM Modi in Johannesburg
News on Air, the All India Radio news service, reported that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a vibrant welcome from the Indian diaspora in Johannesburg as he arrived in the city for the G20 summit. Community organizations coordinated the diaspora reception, bringing together members from across Johannesburg's South Asian population for an event that included cultural performances, patriotic songs, and the display of Indian and South African flags. The Indian diaspora in South Africa — among the oldest and largest in sub-Saharan Africa — has produced generations of community leaders, professionals, and cultural figures who maintain close ties with India while identifying strongly as South Africans. The G20 summit in Johannesburg drew world leaders to the city, and for the Indian community, Modi's presence served as an opportunity to demonstrate the strength and visibility of the diaspora. Diplomatic engagement between India and South Africa has deepened in recent years, with people-to-people ties remaining a cornerstone of the bilateral relationship. The warm welcome was reported both by the Indian government's media services and by South African outlets covering the diplomatic visit. [5]
Sources: [3] Hinduism Today · [2] DD News · [1] BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha · [5] News On AIR