Then India Sanmarga Ikya (TISI) Sangam Fiji launched a commemorative history book chronicling the Sri Siva Subramaniya Swami Temple in Nadi on Friday, the latest event in a year-long program marking the organisation’s 100th anniversary. The volume, authored by Dr Ponnu Goundar, was unveiled at a ceremony in Nadi with Indian High Commissioner to Fiji Suneet Mahta as chief guest.
Dr Goundar said the book grew out of a persistent fear that the stories of the community’s forefathers — their faith, struggles and sacrifices — risked fading away. “This book was borne from a simple but profound concern for a long time to write something about the Lord Murugan’s presence in this country,” he told attendees, stressing that the temple’s history should not be reduced to its “stones, bricks and sculpture” but remembered as a living testament to devotion and resilience. He warned that without written records, future generations might appreciate the temple’s grandeur but miss the sacrifices that made it possible.
The launch forms part of a series of centennial activities TISI Sangam has been staging across Fiji. Earlier this year the Sangam rolled out events in Rakiraki and other centres to celebrate the organisation’s role in uniting South Indian communities since its founding by Sadhu Kuppuswamy in the 1920s. Organisers said the new book will sit alongside these events as a longer-lasting cultural resource for devotees, historians and younger Indo-Fijians seeking connection to their roots.
Indian High Commissioner Suneet Mahta praised Dr Goundar’s work at the ceremony, saying the book “beautifully captures this journey of faith, resilience and cultural pride.” Mahta highlighted the temple’s significance beyond religious practice, noting that Sri Siva Subramaniya Swami Temple has played a central role in fostering identity, unity and spiritual growth within the Indo-Fijian community over decades.
The book documents the temple’s origins, the collective efforts of devotees to establish and maintain it, and the social and spiritual functions it has served. Organisers indicated the publication includes photographs and archival material intended to preserve memories that now exist mainly in fading photographs and oral recollections. Dr Goundar said he aimed to set down those accounts so they would be available to researchers and families alike.
TISI Sangam’s centenary has already sparked wider reflection on the organisation’s legacy in Fiji, from religious life to cultural education. By releasing the temple history at this juncture, Sangam leaders said they hope to anchor celebrations in documented history as well as ceremony, ensuring that the narratives behind institutions such as the Nadi temple remain accessible as the community prepares to mark 100 years of organised activity.
Copies of the history are expected to be circulated among Sangam branches and local libraries, organisers said, as part of a broader effort to preserve and promote Indo-Fijian heritage during the centennial year.
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