Places of worship · South Africa
Hindu temples and gurdwaras in South Africa
Durban has the most Hindu temples in South Africa: the ISKCON Temple of Understanding in Chatsworth (50 Bhaktivedanta Swami Circle, worship 04:30 to 20:45 daily), the temples on Umgeni Road, at Cato Manor and in Clairwood, and the BAPS mandir in Manor Gardens. Pietermaritzburg has the Shri Vishnu Temple and the Sri Siva Soobramoniar and Mariammen temples on Langalibalele Street. In Gauteng the largest is the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir at 4 Dexter Road, Northriding, with ISKCON and a second BAPS mandir in Lenasia, the Siva Alayam in Actonville and the Mariamman Temple in Marabastad, Pretoria; Cape Town has ISKCON in Rondebosch and temples in Rylands. The gurdwaras are in Parkmore (Johannesburg), Chatsworth (Durban) and Rylands (Cape Town).
Durban and eThekwini
Correct or addKwaZulu-Natal’s Indian community, the largest in the country, is centred on Durban, and the oldest temples go back to the 1870s. Chatsworth and Phoenix are the large townships; the older temples are on Umgeni Road, Bellair Road and Somtseu Road. Phoenix, Verulam, Isipingo, Merebank and Shallcross have more neighbourhood temples than are listed here.
- HinduISKCON
Sri Sri Radha Radhanath Temple (Temple of Understanding)
- Address
- 50 Bhaktivedanta Swami Circle, Chatsworth 4092 · Directions
- When
- Worship from 04:30 to 20:45 daily, with six arati; Sunday programme from 16:00 (arati, a Bhagavad-gita talk, questions, then a love feast); admission free
ISKCON’s Durban temple, about 20 km south of the city centre, opened to the public on the weekend of 18 to 20 October 1985. The presiding deities are Radha Radhanath, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Giriraj Govardhan, and Govinda’s vegetarian restaurant and take-away is on the ground floor.
- HinduTamil Saiva
Shree Vaithianatha Easvarar Alayam (Umgeni Road Temple)
- Address
- 535 Umgeni Road, Durban 4001 · Directions
- When
- No hours published — ring or ask before a first visit
A Shiva temple that the Sunday Times called the largest in the southern hemisphere in 2010, when an eight-metre Shiva statue was brought to its entrance; it is much used for weddings. The address is from the Maha Sabha’s list of affiliates. The annual Ganesh float procession has set off from here for the Blue Lagoon (Hindu Press International, 2017).
- HinduTamil Saiva
Umbilo Shree Ambalavaanar Alayam (Cato Manor Second River Temple)
- Address
- 890 Bellair Road, Cato Manor, Durban · Directions
- When
- No hours published — ring or ask before a first visit
A National Monument since 1980, holding the deities of the First River temple of 1875, which South African History Online calls the first recorded public Hindu temple on the African continent. The complex has a Shiva shrine, the Sri Draupadi Alayam and a Phutu temple, and hosts the annual Draupadi firewalking festival (April in 2025). In January 2026 its committee reported an unpaid municipal account and announced a forensic audit.
- HinduTamil Saiva (Murugan)
Clairwood Shree Siva Soobramoniar Temple
- Address
- 122 Sirdar Road, Clairwood, Durban 4052 · Directions
- When
- No hours published — ring or ask before a first visit
A Murugan temple established in 1889, refurbished in 2014 with a Maha Kumbhabhishekam for its 125th year, and the home of Durban’s Thaipoosam Kavady: a 10-day festival in which devotees pull chariots, carry milk pots and kavadies, and some pierce their bodies with hooks. The 2026 kavady was on Sunday 1 February. The Maha Sabha spells the street Sidar Road.
- Hindu
Durban Hindu Temple (Shree Thakurdwala)
- Address
- 24 Somtseu Road, Durban 4001 · Directions
- When
- No hours published — ring or ask before a first visit
Built in 1901 to a design by J. P. Mumford and counted among the oldest temples in Durban, with several shrines in the temple area. It was named as the venue for the concluding havan of the 2017 Ganesh float procession.
- Hindu
Shri Vishnu Temple (Hanuman statue)
- Address
- 229 Arena Park Drive, Chatsworth 4092 · Directions
- When
- No hours published — ring or ask before a first visit
The Chatsworth temple with the Lord Hanuman statue that Wikipedia’s Chatsworth entry lists among the suburb’s landmarks and calls the tallest in Africa. The address is on the Maha Sabha’s list and on the temple’s Facebook page, as cited by Wikipedia; we found no timetable.
- HinduMariammen
Shri Mariammen Temple
- Address
- Mount Edgecombe, Durban · Directions
- When
- No hours published — ring or ask before a first visit
The Easter pilgrimage temple of KwaZulu-Natal: its chairperson told Independent on Saturday in 2025 that it was built in 1890, that “we easily get 100 000 people” at Easter, and that devotees can queue for up to six hours. The festival now starts the day before Good Friday and runs to Easter Monday, and Tamil, Telugu, Hindi and Gujarati speakers share one queue. We found no street address in the reports we read.
- Hindu
Mount Edgecombe Ganesha Temple
- Address
- North Coast Road, Mount Edgecombe · Directions
- When
- No hours published — ring or ask before a first visit
A National Monument since 18 February 1977, built in 1898 by the indentured bricklayer and temple architect Kristappa Reddy and believed to be the oldest surviving solid temple in Africa; the same heritage record covers a Shiva temple of 1912. The street is from a heritage listing and we found no timetable or page of the temple’s own, so ask at the Shri Mariammen Temple nearby or the Maha Sabha before going.
- HinduGujarati
Gujarati Hindu Sanskruti Kendra (Ekta Mandir)
- Address
- 5 John Zikhali Road (Sydenham), Durban 4001 · Directions
- When
- No hours published — ring or ask before a first visit
The Gujarati community’s temple, hall complex and retirement home (Kendra Gardens) in Sydenham; it also runs the Eastern Bridal Fair. It is a community centre as much as a temple, so ring the office for what is on.
- HinduBAPS
BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Durban
- Address
- 86 Dale Road, Manor Gardens, Durban · Directions
- When
- No hours published — ring or ask before a first visit
The Swaminarayan temple for the Gujarati community, opened on 9 August 1999 and marked with a three-day programme for its 25th anniversary in August 2024. The Maha Sabha lists it as the Swaminarayan Hindu Mission.
- HinduRamakrishna Mission
Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa
- Address
- 8 Montreal Road, Glen Anil, Durban · Directions
- When
- Mangal arati 05:00 and sandhya arati 17:00 daily; satsang Saturdays 16:00–17:30; Bhagavad-gita class Tuesdays 19:00–20:00; Devi Mahatmyam class Fridays 19:00–20:00; Hinduism for Children Saturdays 16:30–17:30
A Vedanta centre founded in 1942 by Swami Nischalananda and affiliated to the Ramakrishna Math and Mission at Belur Math in India. It keeps the main Hindu festivals and runs classes, youth programmes, nutrition work and medical outreach.
- Sikh
Gurdwara Sahib Durban
- Address
- Chatsworth — the venue moves; see below
- When
- No hours published — ring or ask before a first visit
Durban’s gurdwara, set up in 2000 according to the Sunday Times and placed in Chatsworth by Wikipedia. Directories disagree on the street: All About Sikhs lists the Sikh Council of South Africa at 187 Parkside Drive, Silverglen, and World Gurudwaras lists 197 Croftdene Road, both in Chatsworth. We found no recent report or timetable, so check before going.
Pietermaritzburg
Correct or addThe province’s second-largest Indian community. The main temples stand on Langalibalele Street, formerly Longmarket Street.
- HinduTamil Saiva and Mariammen
Sri Siva Soobramoniar and Mariammen Temples
- Address
- Langalibalele Street, Pietermaritzburg · Directions
- When
- No hours published — ring or ask before a first visit
Two Tamil temples side by side, opposite the Shri Vishnu Temple. Their Draupadi firewalking ceremony is held on Good Friday, opened by a flag-hoisting and a 10-day fast; more than a thousand devotees were expected in 2023, after the ceremony was abandoned in 2018 because of a storm and skipped for two years in the Covid period. Good Friday 2027 is 26 March.
- HinduVaishnava
Shri Vishnu Temple
- Address
- Langalibalele Street, Pietermaritzburg · Directions
- When
- No hours published — ring or ask before a first visit
A National Monument since 1988, in a simple north Indian style with a central dome and a veranda for walking round the shrine room. A committee was formed on 13 October 1907, the temple was finished in 1922, and marble deities of Vishnu, Lakshmi, Krishna and Rama were consecrated in 1924; a Hindi school followed in 1924 and a primary school in 1952. It marked its 118th anniversary in 2025.
Johannesburg, Lenasia and Midrand
Correct or addLenasia, about 35 km south-west of the centre, is the Indian township; the newest and largest temple is in Northriding, north of the city. The Johannesburg guide on this site covers the same temples with the suburbs around them.
- HinduBAPS
BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir and Cultural Complex
- Address
- 4 Dexter Road, Northriding 2188 · Directions
- When
- No hours published — ring or ask before a first visit
The first phase was consecrated on 2 February 2025 by Mahant Swami Maharaj; AFP, repeating BAPS’s own description, called it the largest Hindu temple and cultural complex in the southern hemisphere. The complex also runs classes in art, dance and language. BAPS’s visit page asks visitors to cover shoulders and knees, and it publishes opening hours there.
- HinduBAPS
BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Lenasia
- Address
- Corner of Hydrangea Avenue and Bengal Street, Extension 11, Lenasia 1827 · Directions
- When
- No hours published — ring or ask before a first visit
Opened on 10 to 12 September 2004 by Pramukh Swami Maharaj as the first traditional-style Hindu mandir in Lenasia, with murtis of Swaminarayan, Radha-Krishna, Sita-Ram with Hanuman, and Shiv-Parvati with Ganapati.
- HinduISKCON
ISKCON Lenasia (Sri Sri Nitai Gaura Hari Mandir)
- Address
- Capricorn Avenue, Extension 9, Lenasia 1820 · Directions
- When
- Sunday love feast from 10:00, with a children’s programme (ISKCON Centres directory)
The temple room is on the top floor of a two-storey building on four plots, beside a Tulasi garden laid out in 2009. Listings give the house number as 7179 and, in an older profile, 7971, so look for the temple on the main road in Extension 9.
- Hindu
Randburg Hindu Temple
- Address
- 47 Neeron Road, Blairgowrie, Randburg 2194 · Directions
- When
- No hours published — ring or ask before a first visit
A temple society affiliated to the South African Hindu Maha Sabha, the address being the one the Sabha lists. We found no page or timetable of its own.
- Hindu
Shri Shakthi Temple
- Address
- 33 Jason Street, Crosby North, Johannesburg 2092 · Directions
- When
- No hours published — ring or ask before a first visit
A temple in the south-west of the city that is affiliated to the South African Hindu Maha Sabha, at the address the Sabha lists. We found no page or timetable of its own.
- HinduTamil Saiva
Madhya Kailash Temple (Midrand Temple)
- Address
- 52 Stag Road, Glen Austin Extension 3, Midrand 1685 · Directions
- When
- No hours published — ring or ask before a first visit
A Shiva temple whose resident priest is Guru Nadarajah Sarma, with weekly Bharatanatyam and percussion classes. In Your Pocket places it across the railway line from the Nizamiye Mosque and a short drive from Midrand Gautrain station. The temple’s own website showed only a blank server page on 23 October 2026.
- Sikh
Gurdwara Sahib Johannesburg
- Address
- 109 4th Street, Parkmore, Sandton · Directions
- When
- No hours published — ring or ask before a first visit
The Johannesburg Sikh community gathered in homes until Harbinder Singh Sethi and his wife Pamela, who came from Kenya, gave property for a gurdwara in 2006. The present building of 2,500 square metres was opened on 22 November 2015, Guru Nanak’s birthday, after an eight-year dispute with neighbours. We found no timetable.
Benoni and the East Rand
Correct or add- HinduTamil Saiva
Siva Alayam (Sivan Alayam)
- Address
- Actonville, Benoni · Directions
- When
- No hours published — ring or ask before a first visit
The East Rand’s Tamil temple, run by the Benoni Tamil School Board (founded 1947), with a Saturday Tamil school. A steel Ardhanarishvara (Shiva-Shakti) murti of 52 feet on a 20-foot base, built in 2013, can be seen from aircraft landing at O. R. Tambo airport. A visitor in 2022 found that Google Maps led to the back gate on Mistry Street and that the front entrance is round the block; shoes come off at the platform.
Pretoria and Laudium
Correct or addThe Mariamman Temple is in the old Asiatic Bazaar at Marabastad, in the city; Laudium, to the south-west, is the suburb where the community was resettled.
- HinduTamil Shakta
Mariamman Temple, Marabastad
- Address
- 6th Street, Marabastad, Pretoria 0183 · Directions
- When
- No hours published — ring or ask before a first visit
Pretoria’s oldest Hindu temple, dedicated to Mariamman and kept by the Pretoria Tamil League; Wikipedia dates it to 1905. Its gopuram is on 6th Street, and the heritage declaration covers stands 302 and 323 of the Asiatic Bazaar. Travel listings give 323 6th Street or 31 7th Street, so confirm the entrance on a map.
- Hindu
Shree Pretoria Hindu Seva Samaj
- Address
- Jewel Street, Laudium, Pretoria · Directions
- When
- No hours published — ring or ask before a first visit
Wikipedia calls it the oldest temple in Laudium, where Gujarati and Tamil Hindus both live; the Hindu Seva Samaj school is in Extension 4. The Maha Sabha lists the Samaj as an affiliate with a postal address only, so ask for the street number.
- HinduBAPS
BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Laudium
- Address
- Laudium — the venue moves; see below
- When
- No hours published — ring or ask before a first visit
BAPS reported the installation of murtis in a new mandir at Laudium on 2 November 2008. An older BAPS directory gives 298 Jewel Street, at the corner of 13th Avenue, but it is undated and we could not confirm that the new mandir stands there, so check the address with BAPS.
Cape Town
Correct or addCape Town’s Hindu institutions go back to the United Hindu Association of 1903. Today the temples are in Rylands and Gatesville on the Cape Flats, and ISKCON is in Rondebosch.
- HinduISKCON
ISKCON Cape Town (Hare Krishna Temple)
- Address
- 17 St Andrews Road, Rondebosch, Cape Town · Directions
- When
- Temple open Monday to Saturday 07:00–19:30, Sunday 07:00–18:00; arati Monday to Saturday 04:30, 07:00 and 19:00, Sunday 04:30, 07:00, 12:30 and 17:30; Sunday love feast 11:00–14:00
In Rondebosch since 1986. Visitors use the pedestrian entrance on St Andrews Road, facing the railway line, and press the intercom; the vehicle gate on Teddington Road is not the visitors’ entrance. Srimad Bhagavatam class is at 07:45 Monday to Friday, Govinda’s weekend cafe is open on Saturdays and Sundays, and the Sunday love feast ends with a free vegetarian meal at 13:00.
- Hindu
Radha Krishna Mandir (Cape Hindu Cultural Society)
- Address
- Jeram Avenue, Rylands Estate, Cape Town · Directions
- When
- No hours published — ring or ask before a first visit
The Cape Hindu Cultural Society’s temple, in a complex with a priest’s residence and the Gandhi Memorial School, which began in Newlands in 1951 as a Gujarati-language school. The Society was founded in 1973 as successor to the United Hindu Association and marked its 50th anniversary on 26 November 2023. The street is from a gurdwara listing on the same site, because the reports we read give no address.
- HinduTamil Saiva
Sri Siva Aalayam
- Address
- Ruth Road, Rylands, Cape Town · Directions
- When
- No hours published — ring or ask before a first visit
A Tamil Shiva temple, officially opened on 19 November 1978. On 2 July 2023 it unveiled statues of the 63 Nayanmar saints at its entrance, the first phase of a project to bring the main building closer to south Indian temple architecture.
- HinduSanatan Dharm
Sanathan Dharma Mandir
- Address
- 46 Shaanti Crescent, Gatesville, Cape Town 7764 · Directions
- When
- No hours published — ring or ask before a first visit
One of the Western Cape’s five affiliates of the South African Hindu Maha Sabha, at the address the Sabha lists. We found no page or timetable of its own.
- Sikh
Gurdwara Sahib Cape Town
- Address
- Radha Krishna Temple complex, Jeram Avenue, Rylands Estate, Cape Town · Directions
- When
- No hours published — ring or ask before a first visit
The first Sikh temple in Cape Town, opened in February 2010 on land from the Radha Krishna Temple and the Hindu Association of the Western Cape. In 2010 its Sunday congregation ran from 11:30 to 13:30, followed by langar; we found no newer timetable or report, so ask before going.
Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
Correct or add- HinduTamil Saiva and Mariamman
Shri Siva Subramanier and Marriamman Aulayam
- Address
- Upper Valley Road, South End, Port Elizabeth · Directions
- When
- No hours published — ring or ask before a first visit
SAHRIS records it as the oldest place of Hindu worship in the Eastern Cape. A priest of the temple, called the S S Aulayam in a 2011 conference paper, described it as an affiliate of the East Cape Tamil Federation. We found no page or timetable of its own.
Other KwaZulu-Natal towns
Correct or addThe north coast and the northern towns have temples of their own. Stanger (KwaDukuza) has Maha Sabha affiliates but no temple with a street address that we could confirm.
- HinduVaishnava (Jagannath)
Shri Jagannath Puri Temple
- Address
- Belvedere Road, Tongaat · Directions
- When
- No hours published — ring or ask before a first visit
Declared a National Monument on 9 March 1979. It was built in 1900, according to the grandson of its builder who cares for it, and is dedicated to Jagannath; SAHRIS describes it as a private temple and puts it on Belvedere Road in Tongaat. Ask before visiting.
- HinduVaishnava
Shree Veeraboga Emperumal Temple
- Address
- 483 Gopalall Hurbans Road, Tongaat · Directions
- When
- No hours published — ring or ask before a first visit
A Perumal (Vishnu) temple that is affiliated to the South African Hindu Maha Sabha, at the address the Sabha lists. We found no page or timetable of its own.
- Hindu
Shree Ganesha Temple (Hindu Thirukootam)
- Address
- 26 Azalea Crescent, Ladysmith 3370 · Directions
- When
- No hours published — ring or ask before a first visit
Listed by the Maha Sabha as Hindu Thirukootam and Shree Ganasha Temple. Its other Ladysmith affiliate, the Sanathan Dharma Sabha, is at 103 Forbes Street. We found no page or timetable of its own.
- HinduTamil Saiva (Murugan)
Siva Subramanian Temple
- Address
- 1 Centre Street, Suryaville, Newcastle · Directions
- When
- No hours published — ring or ask before a first visit
Newcastle’s Murugan temple as the South African Hindu Maha Sabha lists it. We found no page or timetable of its own.
Also worth knowing
This is a short list of a long one. The South African Hindu Maha Sabha has 150 affiliated organisations, 108 of them in KwaZulu-Natal and 25 in Gauteng, and most Indian neighbourhoods have a temple that keeps its own Sunday satsang and festival calendar. We list the places whose address or own page we could confirm, with a few heritage temples; Phoenix, Verulam, Isipingo, Merebank, Shallcross, Reservoir Hills, Lenasia and Laudium have more than appear here, and the Sabha also has affiliates in Bloemfontein, East London, Kimberley and Polokwane. Ask the Sabha (sahms.org.za) or the nearest temple.
Not temples, so not carded above: Gandhi’s Phoenix Settlement in Inanda, founded in 1903 and declared a National Heritage Site in 2020, is a historic site and not a place of worship. The Maha Sabha’s list also names the Divine Life Society (Reservoir Hills), Chinmaya Mission (Chatsworth), the Arya Pratinidhi Samaj (Overport), Brahma Kumaris, the Shri Ram Chandra Mission and the Sri Shirdi Sai Baba Centre (Lenasia); we could not confirm public worship hours for them.
Diwali is on Sunday 8 November 2026 and is not a public holiday; the government’s lists for 2026 and 2027 do not include it. The South African Hindu Maha Sabha’s Durban Diwali Festival runs from Friday 30 October to Sunday 1 November at the Suncoast Parking Site, and the temples usually keep Lakshmi Puja in the evening of 8 November, each at its own hour. The Hindu Co-ordinating Council’s festival in Lenasia was announced a year ago for Saturday 31 October 2026; we found no 2026 programme, so confirm it. In eThekwini, the municipality said in 2024 that consumer fireworks may be used at a home only on Guy Fawkes night, on Diwali between sunset and midnight, and on New Year’s Eve from 11.45pm to 12.15am, with children under 16 handling them only under an adult’s supervision; fines of up to R3,500 have been reported.
Other dates: the Thaipoosam Kavady at Clairwood was on Sunday 1 February 2026, and the temple announces the next date. The Easter festival at the Shri Mariammen Temple runs from the day before Good Friday to Easter Monday; Good Friday 2027 is 26 March and Family Day is Monday 29 March. Firewalking (thimithi) honouring Draupadi was held in Durban on Good Friday 3 April 2026, and the Cato Manor temple and the Langalibalele Street temples in Pietermaritzburg both hold theirs in this season. Crowds at Mount Edgecombe are large and the queue can take hours, so plan for the wait.
Dress and footwear: take your shoes off before the shrine and dress modestly. BAPS asks visitors to cover shoulders and knees; ISKCON Cape Town asks for loose, respectful clothes; ask before photographing inside any temple. At a gurdwara cover your head and take off your shoes. Small and heritage temples such as the Tongaat and Mount Edgecombe ones are not set up for drop-in visitors, so ask first.
For a priest or a ceremony, the Maha Sabha’s National Council of Hindu Priests accredits priests, though its online priest finder did not work when we checked; the temples, and the BAPS, ISKCON and Ramakrishna centres, are the practical route for a house puja, a naming or a wedding.
Questions people ask
- What is the biggest Hindu temple in South Africa?
- The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir and Cultural Complex at 4 Dexter Road, Northriding, Johannesburg, whose first phase was consecrated on 2 February 2025; AFP, repeating BAPS’s description, called it the largest Hindu temple and cultural complex in the southern hemisphere. In Durban, the temple most visitors are sent to is the ISKCON Temple of Understanding in Chatsworth, opened in October 1985.
- Where is the oldest Hindu temple in South Africa?
- The Umbilo Shree Ambalavaanar Alayam at 890 Bellair Road, Cato Manor, Durban, a National Monument since 1980, holds the deities of the First River temple of 1875, which South African History Online calls the first recorded public Hindu temple on the African continent. The Mount Edgecombe Ganesha Temple of 1898 is believed to be the oldest surviving solid temple in Africa.
- Which Hindu temples are in Durban?
- The ISKCON Temple of Understanding at 50 Bhaktivedanta Swami Circle in Chatsworth, the Shree Vaithianatha Easvarar Alayam at 535 Umgeni Road, the Cato Manor temple at 890 Bellair Road, the Clairwood Shree Siva Soobramoniar Temple at 122 Sirdar Road, the Durban Hindu Temple at 24 Somtseu Road, the BAPS mandir at 86 Dale Road in Manor Gardens, and the Ramakrishna Centre at 8 Montreal Road in Glen Anil.
- Is there a Hindu temple in Johannesburg?
- Yes. The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir is at 4 Dexter Road, Northriding; in Lenasia there are a second BAPS mandir at the corner of Hydrangea Avenue and Bengal Street and ISKCON Lenasia in Extension 9; the Madhya Kailash Shiva temple is at 52 Stag Road, Midrand; and the Siva Alayam is in Actonville, Benoni.
- What happens at the Shri Mariammen Temple in Mount Edgecombe at Easter?
- Devotees from across the country queue to pray to Mariammen from the day before Good Friday to Easter Monday, waiting up to six hours; the chairperson estimated 100 000 people in 2025. Good Friday in 2027 is 26 March.
- Where is the firewalking in Pietermaritzburg?
- At the Sri Siva Soobramoniar and Mariammen temples on Langalibalele Street, on Good Friday after a 10-day fast that begins with a flag-hoisting. Good Friday in 2027 is 26 March, and the temples announce the programme.
- Is Diwali a public holiday in South Africa, and where are the 2026 events?
- No. Diwali is on Sunday 8 November 2026 and is not on the government’s public-holiday lists. The Durban Diwali Festival, run by the South African Hindu Maha Sabha, is at the Suncoast Parking Site from Friday 30 October to Sunday 1 November (R20 for adults, R10 for children aged 3 to 12); the temples keep Lakshmi Puja in the evening of 8 November.
- Can I let off fireworks for Diwali in Durban?
- Only within eThekwini’s rules. The municipality said in 2024 that consumer fireworks may be used at a home on Guy Fawkes night, on Diwali between sunset and midnight, and on New Year’s Eve from 11.45pm to 12.15am; children under 16 may handle them only under an adult’s supervision. Confirm the municipality’s notice for 8 November.
- Is there a gurdwara in South Africa?
- Yes, in three cities: Gurdwara Sahib Johannesburg at 109 4th Street, Parkmore (opened in its present building on 22 November 2015), Gurdwara Sahib Durban in Chatsworth, and Gurdwara Sahib Cape Town in the Radha Krishna Temple complex in Rylands. We found no recent timetables for them, so ask before going.
- Is there an ISKCON temple in South Africa?
- Yes: the Sri Sri Radha Radhanath Temple in Chatsworth, Durban; ISKCON Lenasia (Sri Sri Nitai Gaura Hari Mandir) in Johannesburg; and ISKCON Cape Town in Rondebosch, where the Sunday love feast is from 11:00 to 14:00.
Sources
Checked on October 23, 2026. When a temple’s own page and this list disagree, the temple wins.
- ISKCON Durban — Sri Sri Radha Radhanath Temple historyiskcondurban.net/about-us/temple-history
- ISKCON Durban — contact usiskcondurban.net/contact-us
- South African Hindu Maha Sabha — list of affiliates (150 organisations)sahms.org.za/about/affiliates/
- South African Hindu Maha Sabha — home pagesahms.org.za/
- South African Hindu Maha Sabha — Diwali Festival 2026sahms.org.za/diwali-festival-2026/
- Sunday Times — Shiva statue for Umgeni Road temple (31 October 2010)www.sundaytimes.timeslive.co.za/sunday-times/lifestyle/2010-10-31-shiva-statue-for-umgeni-road-temple/
- Hindu Press International — Lord Ganesha procession celebrates 11 years (8 July 2017)www.hinduismtoday.com/hpi/?p=15611
- SAHO — First and Second River temples (890 Bellair Road, National Monument 1980)sahistory.org.za/place/first-second-river-temples
- SAHO — Shree Ambalavaanar Alayam temple complex, Cato Manorsahistory.org.za/place/shree-ambalavaanar-alayam-temple-complex-cato-manor-durban
- Independent on Saturday — Celebrating 150 years of firewalking at Africa’s oldest Hindu temple (12 March 2025)independentonsaturday.co.za/2025-03-12-celebrating-150-years-of-firewalking-at-africas-oldest-hindu-temple2/
- Hindu Press International — South Africa’s oldest Hindu temple battles a financial crisis (January 2026)www.hinduismtoday.com/hpi/?p=22697
- Clairwood Shree Siva Soobramoniar Templewww.cssst-sa.com/
- Wikipedia — Clairwood Shree Siva Soobramoniar Templeen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clairwood_Shree_Siva_Soobramoniar_Temple
- The Post — Kavady pictures: a celebration of devotion and penance (2 February 2026)www.thepost.co.za/community-news/2026-02-02-kavady-pictures-a-celebration-of-devotion-and-penance
- South African National Society — Somtseu Road Hindu Temple (24 Somtseu Road, built 1901)sanationalsociety.co.za/somtseu-road-hindu-temple/
- Wikipedia — Chatsworth, KwaZulu-Natal (Lord Hanuman statue, Shri Vishnu Temple, 229 Arena Park Drive)en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chatsworth,_KwaZulu-Natal
- Independent on Saturday — Shri Mariammen temple celebrates 135 years of faith (28 May 2025)independentonsaturday.co.za/2025-05-28-135-years-of-faith-the-shri-mariammen-temple-of-mount-edgecombe/
- Mail & Guardian — Hindus also mark Christian piety (1 April 2026)mg.co.za/thought-leader/2026-04-01-hindus-also-mark-christian-piety/
- SAHO — Ganesha Temple, Mt Edgecombe (National Monument 1977)sahistory.org.za/place/ganesha-temple-mt-edgecombe
- Gujarati Hindu Sanskruti Kendra — contactkendra.org.za/contact.aspx
- BAPS Durban — Diwali Annakut celebrations 2025 (Durban mandir page)www.baps.org/durban/news/diwali-annakut-celebrations-2025
- Sunday Tribune — BAPS temple to mark 25 years (6 August 2024)m.motoring.co.za/sunday-tribune/news/baps-temple-to-mark-25-years-a9c91c49-a73e-434c-8bdb-52b60b9f0215
- Ramakrishna Centre of South Africaramakrishnasa.org.za/
- Belur Math — The Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa, Durbanbelurmath.org/the-ramakrishna-centre-of-south-africa-durban/
- All About Sikhs — gurdwaras in South Africawww.allaboutsikhs.com/gurudwaras/gurudwaras-in-south-africa/
- World Gurudwaras — Gurudwaras in South Africawww.worldgurudwaras.com/location/south-africa/
- World Gurudwaras — Gurudwara Sahib Johannesburgwww.worldgurudwaras.com/gurudwara-sahib-johannesburg/
- World Gurudwaras — Gurudwara Sahib, Cape Townwww.worldgurudwaras.com/gurudwara-sahib-cape-town/
- Wikipedia — Sikhism in South Africaen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikhism_in_South_Africa
- Sunday Times — SA Sikhs open new temple in Cape Town (28 March 2010)www.timeslive.co.za/sunday-times/lifestyle/2010-03-28-sa-sikhs-open-new-temple-in-cape-town/
- SikhiWiki — Gurdwara Sahib Cape Townwww.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Gurdwara_Sahib_Cape_Town
- The Tribune — First gurdwara opened near Johannesburg (22 November 2015)www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/features/first-gurdwara-opened-near-johannesburg-161847
- The Post — A sacred legacy: 118 years of the Shri Vishnu Temple in Pietermaritzburg (2025)thepost.co.za/community-news/2025-09-29-a-sacred-legacy-118-years-of-the-shri-vishnu-temple-in-pietermaritzburg/
- Public Eye — All set for firewalking ceremony (7 April 2023)www.pressreader.com/south-africa/public-eye-south-africa/20230407/281556590101709
- The Post — Easter, a time for religious harmony (29 March 2018)iol.co.za/thepost/news/2018-03-29-easter-a-time-for-religious-harmony/
- The Citizen — 48 hours in pictures, 5 April 2026 (Durban thimithi on 3 April)www.citizen.co.za/multimedia/48-hours-in-pictures-5-april-2026
- BAPS Johannesburg — visit page (4 Dexter Road, Northriding)www.baps.org/johannesburg/visit
- Gulf News (AFP) — Largest Hindu temple in southern hemisphere opens in South Africagulfnews.com/world/africa/largest-hindu-temple-in-southern-hemisphere-opens-in-south-africa-1.500027419
- Akashvani News — BAPS inaugurates South Africa’s largest Hindu temple in Johannesburg (5 February 2025)www.newsonair.gov.in/baps-inaugurates-south-africas-largest-hindu-temple-in-johannesburg
- BAPS Lenasiawww.baps.org/lenasia/home
- BAPS — Murti-Pratishtha Mahotsav, Lenasia, 9 to 14 September 2004swaminarayan.org/news/africa/2004/09/lenasia/index.htm
- BAPS — Global Network, Africa (older directory of mandirs)www.swaminarayan.org/globalnetwork/africa/
- BAPS — New Shri Swaminarayan Mandir inauguration, Laudium (2008)www.baps.org/News/2008/New-BAPS-Shri-Swaminarayan-Mandir-Inauguration-Laudium-South-Africa-584.aspx
- ISKCON Centres — ISKCON Lenasiacentres.iskcon.org/centre/iskcon-lenasia/
- Utah Krishnas — Temple profile: Johannesburg, South Africawww.utahkrishnas.org/temple-profile-johannesburg-south-africa/
- Wikipedia — Madhya Kailash Temple, Midranden.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madhya_Kailash_Temple,_Midrand
- In Your Pocket — Madhya Kailash Temple, Johannesburginyourpocket.com/johannesburg/madhya-kailash-temple_129109v
- Rising Sun — Lights, laughter and celebration: Diwali festival shines bright (22 October 2025)risingsunnewspapers.co.za/?p=318096
- Hinduism Today — Hinduism: South African style (the Siva Alayam, Benoni)www.hinduismtoday.com/hinduism-south-african-style/
- Two Summers — The Shiva temple of Actonville, Benoni (4 May 2022)2summers.net/2022/05/04/the-awe-inspiring-shiva-temple-of-actonville-benoni
- Wikipedia — Mariamman Temple, Pretoriaen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariamman_Temple,_Pretoria
- SA-Venues — Mariamman Temple, Marabastadwww.sa-venues.com/things-to-do/gauteng/mariamman-temple/
- Wikipedia — Laudiumen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laudium
- ISKCON Cape Town — contact and temple hourswww.iskconcape.org.za/contact-us/
- ISKCON Cape Town — daily arati schedulewww.iskconcape.org.za/daily-arati-schedule/
- ISKCON Cape Town — Sunday love feastwww.iskconcape.org.za/sunday-love-feast/
- ISKCON Centres — ISKCON Cape Towncentres.iskcon.org/centre/iskcon-cape-town/
- Athlone News — Cape Hindu Cultural Society marks 50th anniversary (29 November 2023)athlonenews.co.za/news/2023-11-29-cape-hindu-cultural-society-marks-50th-anniversary
- Athlone News — Saint statues unveiled at Sri Siva Aalayam (4 July 2023)athlonenews.co.za/news/2023-07-04-saint-statues-unveiled-at-sri-siva-aalayam
- SAHRIS — Shri Siva Subramanier and Marriamman Aulayam, Upper Valley Road, Port Elizabethsahris.org.za/node/39557
- NGTT journal — conference paper naming the S S Aulayam, Port Elizabeth (2011)ngtt.journals.ac.za/pub/article/view/302/411
- SAHO — Shri Jagannath Puri Temple, Tongaatsahistory.org.za/place/shri-jagannath-puri-temple-tongaat
- SAHRIS — Shri Jagannath Puri Temple, Tongaat (Belvedere Road)sahris.org.za/node/41133
- Wikipedia — Inanda, KwaZulu-Natal (Gandhi’s Phoenix Settlement)en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inanda,_KwaZulu-Natal
- South African Government — public holidays 2026 and 2027www.gov.za/about-sa/public-holidays
- The Post — eThekwini Municipality issues warning on fireworks use during Diwali (30 October 2024)thepost.co.za/news/2024-10-30-ethekwini-municipality-issues-warning-on-fireworks-use-during-diwali/
- The Post — Hindu Maha Sabha volunteer attorneys for Diwali; police warn of fines up to R3,500 (8 November 2023)capeargus.co.za/thepost/news/2023-11-08-the-south-african-hindu-maha-sabha-has-commissioned-a-team-of-volunteer-attorneys-to-assist-the-hindu-community-in-anticipation-of-possible-racism-and-anti-hindu-sentiment-that-usually-flares-up-during-diwali-while-police-warn-of-fines-up-to-r3500
Temple programmes, pujas and festival nights in South Africa are posted as events in the app, with the people from your city who are going.
Namaste Community — the Indian expat community, near you. Free to join, works in every country.
Moving & living guides
Indians in South Africa: the 2026 guide to the community, the census figures, KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Cape Town, work visas, schools, temples and Diwali
Checked October 23, 2026
Indians in Durban: the 2026 guide to Chatsworth, Phoenix, Merebank, Overport, Westville, Umhlanga and the Grey Street area
Checked October 23, 2026
Indians in Johannesburg: the 2026 guide to Lenasia, Fordsburg, Mayfair, Laudium, Actonville and Sandton
Checked October 23, 2026