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GREAT BRITAIN, May 23, 2002: Highgatehill Murugan Temple is to become the first Hindu temple in Britain to be visited by the queen in her 50-year reign. The temple was picked to welcome the Queen as part of her wish to recognize each of Britain’s many faiths during her Golden Jubilee tour of the country. The Queen and Prince Phillip will visit the temple on June 6. Alongside worshipers at the temple will be representatives from the wider Hindu community in Britain, which has grown from just a handful of followers 50 years ago to an estimated 1.5 million today. The small temple was chosen because it is like many of the growing number of Hindu places of worship across Britain: relatively small and adapted from an existing building. When the Queen arrives, she will show respect for Hindu practice by taking off her shoes before walking into the temple. A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said: “The Queen will obviously follow all the customs of the temple and the Hindu faith.” Royal aides have attempted to recognize every one of Britain’s faith groups during the Golden Jubilee tour, culminating in a reception for leaders of every religious group at Buckingham Palace on June 10.

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