A Leicestershire crematorium is believed to be the first in the country to have a dedicated shrine to Shiva as part of its commitment to serve the diverse local community. Great Glen Crematorium is part of Westerleigh Group, the UK’s biggest independent owner and operator of crematoria and cemeteries, with 35 sites nationwide. The white marble statue of Shiva was donated by local businessman Sailesh Raja.
Mr Raja said: “I come from Uganda and am from a spiritual family where practising good faith was always encouraged.
“I am now 60-years-old and, since coming to the UK, I have been working to help with community activities, including through my business of Group Care Homes.
“I thought having a dedicated shrine would be a great service to the local community so I approached the crematorium. I was not confident they would agree to it but the manager was very approachable, friendly and supportive from day one, and he agreed.
“Most crematoriums have temporary shrines, but I believe this was the first to have a permanent one.
“It is very important to the local community, as it is said that Lord Shiva is an inhabitant of the cremation ground.
“Everyone who has heard about this is very appreciative; people have told me that because of this, their first approach for cremation will be Great Glen Crematorium.
“The whole community is very happy and thankful to the team at Great Glen Crematorium. We highly appreciate the support we have had from them and look forward to working with the team in the future.”
