An anthropological micro-study of about 150 Hindu families living in Edinburgh, and about the fact that two associations exist among them - one of which is based on activities at a temple. The author explores why there is a temple in Edinburgh, and the community associated with it.

This is a study of some 150 families (and about 1000 persons) of Hindus living in Edinburgh, and particularly about the fact that two associations exist among them, one of which is based on activities at a temple. This is thus a micro-study of an anthropological kind, which is linked to the wider world of the city as well as the South Asian population in the UK and the worldwide migration of South Asians. The author's challenge is stated at the outset: why is there a temple in Edinburgh, in what sense can it be called a Hindu one, and in what sense is there a community associated with it and how can both temple and community be seen as "under construction"? A wide range of ethnographic and theoretical material is used, as well as the author's own field observations, in an attempt to address these questions. The book should be of interest to a wide range of people - those who are concerned with ethnic relations, those who wish for a background knowledge of Hindu religious beliefs and practice in this country, and social anthropologists working in this and related fields.