Skanda Vale

File:Entrance to Skanda Vale - geograph.org.uk - 1103184.jpg

Entrance to Skanda Vale This is the main entrance to Skanda Vale - "The community of the many names of god" The buildings here used to be part of a farm called Cwm-Creugiau Fawr. The monastic community also own Llwynyderi to the south and Pen-y-garn to the northeast where they have an additional temple. They are most famous for their sacred Hindu bull called Shambo who caught bovine TB and had to be put down by the authorities. There were quite a few news stories about the legel battle and his eventual death http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/temple-bull-shambo-slaughtered-459200.html

File:The Murugan Temple at Skanda Vale, Wales, UK.jpg

The Murugan Temple at Skanda Vale

File:The Sri Ranganatha Temple at Skanda Vale, Wales, UK.jpg

The Sri Ranganatha Temple at Skanda Vale

Skanda Vale (grid reference SN419320) is a Hindu and Multi Faith ashram and monastery founded by Guru Sri Subramanium in Carmarthenshire, south-west Wales. The ashram houses 3 temples one each dedicated to lord Subramanium, Divine Mother and lord Vishnu.

Skanda Vale is located in the valleys of West Wales, about 5 miles (8.0 km) from the town of Carmarthen, on the way to Lampeter, the nearest village is Llanpumsaint. The road to the temple is very narrow (last 4 miles/6 km), allowing just one vehicle to pass at a time. There are three temples: The Murugan Temple, The Maha Shakti Temple, and the Ranganatha Temple. There are 6 Pujas performed in each of the temples everyday : 5:00 - Murugan Temple 6:30 - Maha Shakti Temple 9:30 - Ranganatha Temple 13:30 - Murugan Temple 18:00 - Maha Shakti Temple 21:00 - Murugan Temple

Between 17:30 and 20:00 on Saturday 1 March a beautiful murthi of Maha Saraswati was stolen from The Sri Ranganatha Temple at Skanda Vale. The absence was first noticed at around 21:00.

A variety of animals are kept on the grounds of the temple including an elephant. In April 2007, there was controversy when the sacred bullock, Shambo, tested positive for bovine TB, and the government ruled that he must be destroyed. An international campaign was mounted to save him. On 16 July 2007, the High Court in Cardiff quashed the ruling made by the National Assembly for Wales, and that it had not in its decision to slaughter Shambo: "given the serious infringement of the community's rights under Article Nine of the European Convention on Human Rights that slaughter would involve.". However, after 23 July 2007 Shambo again faced execution, after the Court of Appeal ruled that he should be slaughtered. Shambo was euthanized on 26 July 2007, via a lethal injection. Welsh authorities have since reported that signs of TB were present upon postmortem examination.

See also

• Shambo

External links

• Skandavale.org