A New Zealand temple group has described media reports of a promise to provide shelter to Indian students as “false claim”.
Shri Shirdi Saibaba Sansthan of NZ Inc has denied any claims of promising to offer accommodation to Indian students who wish to study here.
Earlier, some Indian media, including Zee News, Business Standard and Dainik Jagran had published stories that contained such claims.
The media reports, filed by news agency PTI, quoted the temple group ‘chairman’ Bhaskar Reddy as saying that the yet-to-be-built Sai Temple in Auckland will have a hall to accommodate 500 persons.
The reports further quoted that the trust is also planning to provide accommodation to Indian students who go to New Zealand for education.
However, the Sansthan described these media statements as “unauthorised” and in a statement issued from Auckland, President Hari Gangisetty and Secretary Hameed Mohammed, say that the article’s claim that Sansthan will provide accommodation to Indian students coming to New Zealand “is a false claim”.
“Bhaskar Reddy, Ex-President who is currently in India has been quoted as the ‘Chairman’ of the Sansthan, which is not true,” the clarification said.
The Sansthan will begin the construction of a Sai Temple in Auckland this Saturday 11 August. Th temple will be located at 12-18 Princes st, Onehunga, where a property was bought for $2.5 million in March last year.
A 5.5feet statue of Sai Baba in spotless white makarana marble has been especially brought from Jaipur in India for its establishment in the soon-to-be-built temple.
The temple will also host statues of other deities including navagrahas – the nine planetary gods in Hindu religion. It is believed that these celestial bodies in the cosmos influence every aspect of human lives and is responsible for all the good or bad times one faces in life, says the trust website.
The temple complex will have community facility which can be used for cultural classes and meditation. The Sansthan regularly organises blood donation camps, tree-planting as well as food donation.
How to donate:
Within New Zealand and from overseas: Remittances can be made to ASB Bank – 123137 – 0047268 – 00 Swift code for remittances from abroad – ASBBNZ2A – ASB Bank, Two Double Seven Branch, Newmarket, Auckland
From India: Donations in India can be made from any branch of Bank of Baroda to the Sansthan Account with Bank of Baroda Auckland Account number : 0212730022170001 Swift code BARBNZ2A.
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