Old, Big, Beautiful: 7 Temples to Visit While in Melbourne

Melbourne offers many temples for every need like religious activities, attractions, and for those wanting to have new experiences while exploring. With multicultural communities surrounding Melbourne, these temples in Melbourne are unique based on the communities’ beliefs.

ISKCON Melbourne (Hare Krishna temple)

1973, when the temple initially located in Burnett Street, St Kilda, Srila Prabhupada installed Hare Krishna Melbourne’s presiding Deities, Sri-Sri Radha-Vallabha. Supported by the surrounding communities, the current temple was established in 1975.

The temple held many activities for the devotees alike, for instance Ekadasi, Dvadasi, Pratipat and many more. This temple also allows a book for Prabhupada House, a house accommodation for visitors who prefer to stay in the vicinity of the temple complex.

Other than accommodations, the visitors are also able to book for any sort of Poojas from naming, housewarming, to birth and death.

Every year, The Hare Krishna Temple celebrates up to twenty major festivals to celebrate and enjoy. These festivals are not limited only for the devotees but also for everyone wanting to participate on the festivals. The Temple is located near the Albert Park, and it is very accessible by tram from Melbourne.

Shri Shiva Vishnu Temple

Located in Carrum Downs and started as The Hindu Society of Victoria (HSV) complex that founded in 1982, Shri Shiva Vishnu Temple was finished and consecrated thereafter in 1994. It is known as the biggest Hindu Temple in Melbourne with its enchanting building and its massive size that create its own beauty for visitors and devotees alike.

The facilities they provide are quite broad, from the basics such as space for the prayer, museum, yoga classes, library, function hall, and even café are available in this temple complex.

They also provide pooja for various ceremonies, special occasions, and other Hindu Holidays. They open throughout the week with 2 shifts from 7.30 am to 1 or 12 pm depending on the day and 4 pm to 9 pm.

The big temple with 15 acres of temple and cultural complex is located in 52 Boundary Rd, Carrum Downs VIC 3201, Australia. This temple is accessible by few public transports like bus or train.

Sri Durga Temple

The Sri Durga Temple is under the auspices of the Hindu Council of Australia (HCA) and is known as the second biggest temple in Melbourne. The building of the temple started in 1997, but due to slow paced construction, the main temple building was finished and opened for public in 2015.

Other than serving its purpose as a temple, the area is also known as Sri Duga Arts/Cultural and Educational Centre. Sri Duga Temple provides lots of services such as connecting to a Hindu Priest, Hindu Marriage, and also SRE (Special Religious Education) for students who are interested in the study of Hinduism.

The temple also celebrates most of the Hindu festivals and is available for everyone who wants to participate in the celebrations. The festivals celebrated in the temple include Holi, Lohrhi, Janamashtami, Dusshehra, Diwali, and several others.

Located in 705-715 Neale Road, Rockbank, 3335, VIC, Melbourne, Australia, The temple can be accessed by public transport like by bus or metro.

Melbourne Murugan Temple

As one of the temples in Melbourne Australia, Melbourne Murugan Temple was built in 1995 and the temple was operated in a temporary facility. Then in 2002, the foundation was laid and finished by 2005 as a fully functioning temple with 3 shrines inside namely Murugan with Valli, Shrine for Vinayagar, and Shrine for Sivalingam & Parvathi. 

This temple serves many services such as Pooja, Archanai, Abhishegam, meals at the temple, and a priest for needs of a wedding ceremony. Yearly major events and celebrations are also held in this temple for instance Vaisaki Visakam and also a Tamil cultural festival known as Aadi Perukku or the monsoon festival.

Located at the suburb area of western Melbourne, at 17-19 Knight Avenue, Sunshine North, this temple can be reached by public transports like train and bus.  The operational hours for this temple are available in 2 shifts for Monday thru Friday (8 am until 11.30 am and 5.30 to 8 pm), and Saturday and Sunday (8 am to 12 pm and 5.30 pm to 8 pm).

Guan Yin Temple Melbourne

A distinctive area of Melbourne and the longest continuous Chinese settlement in the western world stretching along in Little Bourke Street and alleys that connecting Bourke Street and Lonsdale Street, this Chinatown dates back in the 1850s. At the west end of Little Bourke Street, there is a Buddhist temple named Melbourne Guan Yin Temple. 

This temple provides a place for visitors and devotees who are looking for religious activities during their visit in Melbourne’s Chinatown.

Located at 221 King St, the temple is very accessible by any public transport or foot from central Melbourne since it is located right in the Melbourne’s CBD. This temple operates within 10 am until 6.30 pm in week days and 10 am to 9 pm during weekends.

Sri Vakrathunda Vinayagar Temple

From a group within HCA (Hindu Society of Australia) decided to build a Vinayagar Temple, this idea started in 1980s and continue in pilgrimage by some of the members to bring Vinayagar Statue from India to Australia.

The building of the temple itself started in 1991 by laying the foundation, then the main building of the temple finished at the end of 1992 and mark the first Hindu temple in Victoria, followed by many other temples in Melbourne.

This temple offers various special poojas, wedding services, and also a canteen for devotees and visitor to enjoy their signature foods and beverages that are available for eat-in and takeaway. They also celebrate all major Hindu festivals.

Sri Vakrathunda Vinayagar Temple is located at 1294 Mountain Highway, The Basin, Melbourne VIC 3154, Australia. Public transports available are trains and buses, starting from Flinders Street Railway Station in central Melbourne to Baywater Station, then take Route 755 bus to Forest Rd, the bus stop is just 230 metres away from the temple.

This temple opens in 2 shifts, starting from 7 am to 12 pm and 6 pm to 9 pm on the weekdays, and 7 am to 1 pm and 4.30 pm during weekend.

With the growing multicultural communities around the metropolitan, these temples in Melbourne will grow even further and hopefully accommodates everyone to feel, celebrate, and enjoy every aspect of these places with its culture while also be accessible for everyone.