A 40‑year‑old Hindu temple in Peterborough, UK, is fighting a legal battle for its future after the Peterborough City Council decided to sell the land it occupies to the Khadijah Mosque, part of the United Kingdom Islamic Mission (UKIM). The dispute has now reached the High Court, where the temple’s trustees are challenging the sale.
The temple, run by the Bharat Hindu Samaj (BHS), has operated from the New England Complex since 1986. It was founded by families expelled from Uganda by dictator Idi Amin in 1972 and today serves nearly 14,000 Hindus across Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Lincolnshire. It is the only Hindu temple within a 35‑mile radius, making it a vital cultural and religious centre for the community.
The council, led by Labour’s Shabina Qayyum, decided to sell the property in 2025 as part of efforts to repay a £500 million debt. Temple trustees say they were told in March 2025 that they could purchase the site and submitted an offer of £1.3 million. However, they received no response for months. In September 2025, they were informed the sale had moved to a “best and final offer” stage, requiring them to bid again — a process they say was unfair and opaque.
The council ultimately sold the land on the open market to UKIM, leaving the Hindu community shocked and disappointed. Temple trustee Gauri Chaudhary said the decision felt like a betrayal after decades of service to the city.
Community members, many of whom have worshipped at the temple for generations, say losing the site would be devastating. “This temple means everything to me… my children come, and my grandchildren come,” said Damyanti Bathia, 74.
The High Court will now decide whether the council acted lawfully in its handling of the sale.