The holy mother of a Hindu temple blessed the streets of Stoneleigh this weekend as part of an annual chariot festival.
Every year the Sri Raja Rajeswari Amman temple in Dell Lane holds the colourful parade, in which Hindu deities tour the area while devotees prostrate themselves in the road as an act of penance.
With just two Hindu temples in Surrey, the festival attracts devotees from across the county, Gaj Ragunathan, one of the trustees at the temple explained.
He estimated there may have been about 3,000 people attending the festival on Sunday – judging by the food and drink consumed.
Newly re-elected MP for Epsom and Ewell Chris Grayling also attended and presented a cheque for £1,000 to Age Concern on behalf of the temple.
Mr Ragunathan told the Epsom Guardian: “We look after our own elderly people and our own community – it’s part of the spirit of our temple and culture.”
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