Hundreds attend festival at Bath's Hindu Temple despite looming closure

• Watch Max Walsh's report here.

Hundreds of people descended on Bath’s only Hindu temple to celebrate the annual Chariot Festival. 

The event, which is more than 5000 years old, sees three Hindu sibling Gods paraded onto the streets to meet their devotees.

But it comes as the Shree Jaganatha Temple faces closure next year in place of two new schools.

Founding member Susmita Rajhansha said: "This place is for us is our home because everyday we come here and sit together, pray together and eat together. This is our first home in Bath."

The city’s Shree Jagannatha Temple opened in part of the former Culverhay School in 2021, a temporary location until a permanent temple could be built.

Now Bath and North East Somerset Council is planning to demolish the school buildings on the site so that the Department for Education can build two new schools for Bath.

On Sunday, hundreds of Hindus travelled from across the country to celebrate the festival, with traffic temporarily brought to a standstill as the three Gods were individually paraded.

Priest Kamlesh Vyas explained: "Normally it is always good to visit the temple. But today the God thinks there are so many disciples who cannot come to the temple, so let me go out into the community and let me see the people. So today the God will sit in the chariot and go around the whole city."

The Mayor of Bath, Cllr Michelle O'Doherty, attended the event and founding members hope her support may help them secure a new premises next year.