Siva and Balthenthiran are two members of a Tamil community of asylum seekers in Glasgow. Balenthiran claimed asylum in late 2000. This was rejected in 2002, and the family were to be evicted from their flat and cut off from social support services. Siva's family claimed asylum in 2001. Their claim was also rejected, and their future remains uncertain. They have nothing to return to in Sri Lanka, having sold their land to obtain passage to the UK.

Each Sunday around 100 of Glasgow’s Sri Lankan Tamils rent a hall that for a few hours becomes a Hindu temple. The community, most of whom are asylum seekers, gathers to worship and eat together.

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Siva holds aloft an oil lamp, the panca ladhi. As acting priest, he leads the prayers at the Sri Mangala Vinay Ahar Alayem Hindu temple. 'We show the fire lamp. We get the brightness to drive away the dark. Everything burns in the fire. The action

Siva holds aloft an oil lamp, the panca ladhi. As acting priest, he leads the prayers at the Sri Mangala Vinay Ahar Alayem Hindu temple.

'We show the fire lamp. We get the brightness to drive away the dark. Everything burns in the fire. The action is to warm the world.'

Sri Mangala Vinay Ahar Alayem Hindu temple, Woodside Hall, Glasgow

October 2005

Siva takes the oil lamp around the temple; Balenthiran prays; another offers a coin. Sri Mangala Vinay Ahar Alayem Hindu temple, Woodside Hall, Glasgow October 2005

Siva takes the oil lamp around the temple; Balenthiran prays; another offers a coin.

Sri Mangala Vinay Ahar Alayem Hindu temple, Woodside Hall, Glasgow

October 2005

The Sri Lankan Tamil Hindu community celebrate the Diwali festival with a night of song and dance. Woodside Hall, Glasgow November 2005

The Sri Lankan Tamil Hindu community celebrate the Diwali festival with a night of song and dance.

Woodside Hall, Glasgow
November 2005

The Sri Lankan Tamil Hindu community celebrate the Diwali festival with a night of song and dance. Woodside Hall, Glasgow November 2005

The Sri Lankan Tamil Hindu community celebrate the Diwali festival with a night of song and dance.

Woodside Hall, Glasgow
November 2005

Youth of the Sri Lankan Tamil Hindu community celebrate the Diwali festival with a night of song and dance. Woodside Hall, Glasgow November 2005

Youth of the Sri Lankan Tamil Hindu community celebrate the Diwali festival with a night of song and dance.

Woodside Hall, Glasgow
November 2005

The Sri Lankan Tamil Hindu community celebrate the Diwali festival with a night of song and dance. Woodside Hall, Glasgow November 2005

The Sri Lankan Tamil Hindu community celebrate the Diwali festival with a night of song and dance.

Woodside Hall, Glasgow
November 2005

Balenthiran prays. Sri Mangala Vinay Ahar Alayem Hindu temple, Woodside Hall, Glasgow October 2005

Balenthiran prays.

Sri Mangala Vinay Ahar Alayem Hindu temple, Woodside Hall, Glasgow
October 2005

Youth of the Sri Lankan Tamil Hindu community celebrate the Diwali festival with a night of song and dance. Woodside Hall, Glasgow November 2005

Youth of the Sri Lankan Tamil Hindu community celebrate the Diwali festival with a night of song and dance.

Woodside Hall, Glasgow
November 2005

Balenthiran and Rajkumar (center) help serve food. Each person attending the temple contributes a monthly fee to pay for food and rental of the hall. The community would like to establish a permanent temple in Glasgow. Currently, the only other Hind

Balenthiran and Rajkumar (center) help serve food.
Each person attending the temple contributes a monthly fee to pay for food and rental of the hall. The community would like to establish a permanent temple in Glasgow. Currently, the only other Hindu temple is north Indian, which is completely different.

Sri Mangala Vinay Ahar Alayem Hindu temple, Woodside Hall, Glasgow
October 2005

Siva and his wife, Roobaranee, watch a video of their daughters performing. Siva’s time is filled with looking after his his teenage children, his duties at the Scottish Refugee Policy Forum, collecting his family’s weekly benefits, and his role as

Siva and his wife, Roobaranee, watch a video of their daughters performing.

Siva’s time is filled with looking after his his teenage children, his duties at the Scottish Refugee Policy Forum, collecting his family’s weekly benefits, and his role as priest at a Hindu temple in Glasgow. As an asylum seeker he has no right to work, and finds he cannot fill the huge amount of time this leaves him with.

Bath St., Glasgow
October 2005