Ngenkathi abasebenzi baseNdiya bezinza eThekwini, babhekana nenselelo yokugcina isiko labo elicebile kanye nesiko labo kwelinye izwe. Into yokuqala ababeyenza kwakungukunakekela indawo yokukhulekela nomaphi lapho behlala khona. Iningi lezisebenzi kwakungamaHindu futhi kwakuhlale kunesidingo sokuba nendawo yokukhulekela.
Ezinsukwini zakuqala izindawo ababehlala kuzo zazivame ukuba seduze kwezindawo zabo zokusebenza, isibonelo amabharaki aseMount Edgecombe, eduze kwamasimu omoba. EMount Edgecombe bekunamathempeli ambalwa akhiwa yilaba basebenzi asethathwa njengendawo yamagugu. IShri Mariamman Hindu Temple kanye ne-Emperumal Temple bekungamathempeli amabili anomlando.
IShri Mariamman Temple
Ngokocwaningo, iShri Marieamman Temple yaqalwa isisebenzi saseNdiya esingowesifazane ogama lakhe linguVelatchee, ngo-1890. Wayengumlimi ojwayelekile endaweni lapho ngolunye usuku ethola isiduli. I-anthill ezinganekwaneni zesiko lamaHindu yaziwa ngokuthi iputhu. I-puthu iyintaba engcwele yomhlaba okukholakala ukuthi ihlala inyoka esaba uNkulunkulu ehlobene nobunkulunkulu. Wahlobisa iputhu ngesari okuyi-drape yaseNdiya, futhi ngemuva kwalokho amalungu omphakathi aziswe ngalokhu kutholakala. Bakha urawondi ngothayela baqala ukuwukhonza.
UVelatchee wayengumphristi wokuqala wesifazane ethempelini owenza amasiko omthandazo wamaHindu. Minyaka yonke ithempeli laliqhuba imikhuleko kaMariamman kanye nemithandazo yephalishi. Ngo-1920, abanikazi beNatal Sugar Estates basiza umphakathi ukwakha isakhiwo sokhuni nensimbi kanye nomgwaqo oya ethempelini. Inani labantu eliseduze nendawo yasePhoenix lalikhula futhi kwaba khona ukwanda okungazelelwe kwabazinikele ethempelini. Okugqama kakhulu kwethempeli eseliqophe umlando eThekwini kwenzeka ngesikhathi abakwaTongaat Hulett Group Estate befuna ukudiliza ithempeli futhi kwaba nemizamo eminingi engaphumelelanga, baphinde babhala nezigameko zabantu abagula ngesikhathi bezama ukubhidliza ithempeli. Amaqanda nobisi kwakuyingxenye yeminikelo yansuku zonke wenyoka nakonkulunkulu, futhi lapho umakhi ethola amaqanda amabili awahlephula angenalutho ngaphakathi, kwaba noshintsho lwamapulani. Ngaleso sikhathi kwakungaphezu kwanoma yikuphi ukulawula konxiwankulu, ukukholwa kwabantu namandla okholo lwabo kwakungenamkhawulo – ekugcineni bakwazi ukugcina ithempeli.
I-Emperumal Temple
I-Emperumal Temple eMount Edgecombe yakhiwa ngo-1875 yizisebenzi ezazijwayele ukuhlangana endaweni yethempeli futhi zizijabulise, zihlanganyele ezingxoxweni ezivela emibhalweni engcwele ngamaSonto. Ithempeli laqale lakhiwa ngokhuni nensimbi kodwa ngo-1925, lakhiwa kusetshenziswa ukhonkolo kanye nesakhiwo sezitini nguKistappa, isisebenzi esizimele esakha iGanesha Temple elaliseduze. Ukuthuthukiswa kwethempeli eminyakeni edlule kwenziwa ngeminikelo evela emphakathini. Ithempeli laba indawo ethandwayo yemicimbi nemikhosi. Ithempeli elihlinzekelwe umphakathi wamaTamil, amaTelugu kanye namaHindi eThekwini futhi kuze kube manje lisamile.
Ibhalwe uYoveshine Pillay
Umthombo: The Post Newspaper