Hindu Place Of Worship Abruptly Closed In Lake Forest: How To Help

LAKE FOREST, CA — A place of worship in the community was abruptly closed this month after serving the south Orange County Hindu community for more than two years.

The Vedic Mandir in Lake Forest was forced to close its doors on April 7, and the abrupt closure has left many in the south Orange County Hindu community without a place to practice and share their beliefs for the past several weeks.

Organizers behind the nonprofit are hard at work raising money to find a new spot to reopen the Mandir.

"Mandir needs to reopen to serve the South OC Hindu community. There are a few temples in the Irvine area, but they are far and not convenient," Atima Sharma, a founding member of the Hindu Vedic Mandir of OC, told Patch. "Especially if there is a festival during the week and prayers must be performed that day. Some [Lake Forest residents] like to visit temple every day, and they struggle with going to Irvine daily."

The Mandir was previously used everyday by members of the Hindu community to offer prayers, celebrate festivals and participate in meditation and language classes, among many other things. The Mandir was also used to connect the younger generations to their culture, Sharma added.

To reopen the Mandir, the Hindu Vedic Mandir of OC must raise roughly $75,000 to cover expenses associated with re-establishing a new temple in Lake Forest, as well as the costs of renting storage for their many god idols and Mandir assets.

"We understand that this is a significant amount of money, but we are hopeful that with your support, we can make this a reality," the nonprofit's GoFundMe post reads.

To help re-establish the Hindu Vedic Mandir, residents can visit the nonprofit's GoFundMe page.