Indian Temples and Holy Places in the Netherlands: A Community Guide

The Netherlands has more than fifty Hindu mandirs, around a dozen Sikh gurudwaras, two ISKCON Krishna temples, and Malayalam Christian parishes serving its South Asian communities, with the heaviest concentration in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Eindhoven. Most of these places welcome any visitor from any Indian background, and this guide walks through what exists for the Marathi, Punjabi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Gujarati communities specifically, alongside the Hindustani Surinamese temples that make up the majority of Dutch Hindu religious life.

Where a community does not (yet) have a dedicated building of its own in the Netherlands, that is stated plainly below rather than glossed over, since knowing where people actually gather matters more than a tidy list.

The Hindustani Community: The Backbone of Dutch Hindu Temples

The single largest group of Indian descent in the Netherlands is the Hindustani community: descendants of indentured labourers taken from India, mostly present-day Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, to work in Dutch Suriname from the 1870s onward, who then migrated on to the Netherlands in large numbers around Suriname's 1975 independence. Their temples, built mainly in the Sanatan Dharm, Arya Samaj and Brahmarishi traditions, account for most of the roughly fifty Hindu mandirs the Hindu Council Netherlands (Hindoeraad) and the community publication Hindorama both list across the country. Any Hindu is welcome at these mandirs regardless of which part of India their own family traces back to.

Some of the larger and longer-established ones:

• Sewa Dhaam (Hindoecentrum Sewa Dhaam): Alberdingk Thijmplein 34, 2524 HV Den Haag. One of The Hague's most active Sanatan Dharm centres, with weekly services and Hindi and cultural classes.
• Radha Krishna Mandir: Saaftingestraat 310, 1069 BW Amsterdam-Osdorp. Run by Stichting Shri Sanatan Dharm Amsterdam, with Sunday services, Ramayana classes, Hindi lessons and weddings and other ceremonies on request.
• Arya Samaj Nederland (ASAN): 1e van der Kunstraat 75, 2541 AS Den Haag. Follows the reformist Arya Samaj tradition founded in India in 1875, with a mandir opened in 2019 alongside meditation, yoga and Ayurveda programmes.
• Dew Mandir: Gaslaan 74, 2572 LL Den Haag.
• Triloki Dhaam Mandir: Tongelresestraat 371, 5642 NC Eindhoven.
• Shree Raam Mandir: Stationslaan 18, 6602 BP Wijchen, one of the few mandirs outside the Randstad.
• Ganga Mandir: Blokmakersstraat 46, 3925 NH Rotterdam.

Like most mandirs in this list, these run mainly on volunteer time, so communal worship tends to cluster on Sunday rather than any particular day in the Hindu calendar, simply because that is when the Dutch working week allows people to attend.

Punjabi Community: Gurudwaras Across the Netherlands

The Netherlands has an estimated 15,000 Sikhs, concentrated mainly around Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague, with gurudwaras open to anyone regardless of faith.

• Shri Guru Nanak Gurdwara Sahib: Schakelstraat 21, 1014 AW Amsterdam. One of the longest-established gurudwaras in the country.
• Gurdwara Maan Sarovar Sahib: Baarsjesweg 281 to 282, Amsterdam.
• Gurudwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha: 1e van der Kunstraat 79 to 81, 2521 AF Den Haag. Some older directories still list an earlier Scheepersstraat address for a Singh Sabha in Den Haag, so confirm the current one directly before a first visit.
• Shri Guru Ravidass Temple: Delftselaan 105, Den Haag. Serves the Ravidassia community, which follows the teachings of Guru Ravidass and, while historically close to Sikhism, is generally considered its own distinct tradition rather than a Sikh gurudwara in the strict sense.
• Gurdwara Sri Nanak Dev Ji: Ottergracht 6, 3064 LN Rotterdam-Kralingseveer.
• Gurdwara Eindhoven (Guru Maneyo Granth): Papenvoort 1, Eindhoven, though it is worth checking gurdwaraeindhoven.nl directly since this one has been reported at more than one address.
• Gurdwara Sikh Sangat Sahib: Brongouw 57, Almere Haven.

Worth knowing separately: the Guru Ram Das Ashram at Den Texstraat 46hs in Amsterdam is a 3HO Kundalini Yoga centre founded on Sikh spiritual teachings by Yogi Bhajan. It is not a mainstream Punjabi diaspora gurudwara and draws a largely different, often Dutch, following, so it is a different stop than the ones above if what you are looking for is a Punjabi community gurudwara.

At any of these, expect to remove your shoes and cover your head (scarves are usually available at the door), and to be offered langar, the free communal meal served to absolutely anyone who walks in, regardless of religion. It is customary to sit on the floor to eat and to help with cleanup or leave a small donation afterwards if you are able.

Tamil Community: South Indian and Sri Lankan Tamil Temples

Most Tamil temples in the Netherlands were established by the Sri Lankan Tamil community, many of whom arrived as refugees from the 1980s onward, rather than by migrants from Tamil Nadu directly. In practice the deities, rituals and language are shared, so Tamil Hindus from India worship at the same temples.

• Arulmigu Sri Arunachaleswarar Tempel (also known locally as the Beverwijk Sivan Kovil): Elbestraat 2, 1943 XH Beverwijk. The most established Tamil temple in the country, known for an annual neighbourhood procession that has deliberately kept a modest, low-key tone to build goodwill with local residents.
• Arulmigu Sri Thurgai Amman Tempel: Laan van Vollenhove 2195, 3706 GW Zeist.
• Murugan Tempel Limburg: Litscherveldweg 15, 6413 BA Heerlen.
• Sri Sivasubramaniyar Thevasthanam: Schipperswal 26c, 6041 TC Roermond, traditionally open daily in the early evening.
• Shri Varatharaja Selvavinayagar Temple: Annie Romein Verschoorlaan 32, 1784 NZ Den Helder.

Gujarati Community: Swaminarayan Faith and Shared Worship Spaces

As of this writing, there is no confirmed freestanding Swaminarayan mandir building in the Netherlands of the kind BAPS has built in London's Neasden or in several other European cities. What exists instead is BAPS Swaminarayan Satsang Mandal, Amsterdam, a congregation that holds annual celebrations such as Swaminarayan Jayanti and Rama Navami at rented venues rather than a dedicated temple. For a current event location, Friends of BAPS Netherlands' Facebook and Instagram pages are the most reliable source, since this can change year to year. Gujarati Hindus in the Netherlands commonly worship day to day at the general Sanatan Dharm mandirs listed above, particularly the Amsterdam and Rotterdam ones, and at the ISKCON temples below, given Gujarat's own strong historical ties to Krishna devotion.

Marathi Community: Ganesh Chaturthi and Community Celebrations

Maharashtra Mandal Netherlands is the main cultural body organising Ganeshotsav (Ganesh Chaturthi) for the Marathi community, with a large annual celebration and immersion event in Aalsmeer and further events in Eindhoven. It is a cultural association rather than a temple-owning religious body, so its venue is rented and can change from year to year, check its Facebook and Instagram pages close to the festival for the current one. Outside the festival, Marathi Hindus also visit Shri Ganesh Mandir, Mereveldtlaan 2, 3454 CG De Meern, one of the very few mandirs in the Netherlands specifically dedicated to Ganesha year round, though it is a general Sanatan Dharm mandir rather than a Marathi community institution as such.

Telugu Community: Cultural Associations and Shared Temples

The Netherlands Telugu Community (NLTC), based around Amstelveen, and the Telugu Association Netherlands are the two main cultural bodies organising Telugu festivals such as Ugadi and Sankranti. Neither maintains a dedicated temple building. For regular worship, Telugu-speaking Hindus in the Netherlands typically attend the same Sanatan Dharm mandirs and ISKCON temples used by the wider Hindu community, particularly around Amsterdam and Eindhoven given the concentration of Telugu IT professionals in those areas. No dedicated Telugu-community temple was found in the Netherlands at the time of writing.

Malayalam Community: Kerala's Christian and Hindu Presence

Kerala's presence in the Netherlands looks different from the other communities on this list, because a large share of Malayalis here came to work in Dutch healthcare and are Christian rather than Hindu, mostly following the Syro-Malabar Catholic or wider Saint Thomas Christian tradition. St. Thomas Christians Netherlands, now organised as the Syro-Malabar Catholic Mission, holds Malayalam Holy Qurbana (the Syro-Malabar liturgy) at three regular locations: Emmastraat 7 in Hilversum, the Emmaus Church at Merelplein 2 in Nieuwegein, and a location in Amstelveen. It also runs youth and adult retreats and traditional Kerala Christian observances such as Pesaha Vyazham through the year.

For the smaller number of Malayalam-speaking Hindus in the Netherlands, the nearest options are the same general Sanatan Dharm mandirs and ISKCON temples used by other communities. No dedicated Kerala Hindu temple was found in the Netherlands at the time of writing.

Hare Krishna (ISKCON): Temples Open to Every Community

• ISKCON Amsterdam: Lizzy Ansinghstraat 80, 1072 RD Amsterdam. Running since 1970, with a daily morning programme from 5 to 9am, a Friday vegetarian dinner club from 4:30 to 8pm, and a full Sunday programme of music, teaching and a vegetarian feast from 3 to 8pm.
• ISKCON Eindhoven: Zeelsterstraat 186, 5652 EP Eindhoven. Running since 2007, with a monthly gathering on the second Saturday of the month from 4:30pm, including a lecture, devotional music and a vegetarian meal.

Krishna devotion draws people from every Indian linguistic community rather than one region in particular, and both temples also attract a meaningful number of Dutch members, so expect programmes to run partly in English or Dutch alongside Sanskrit chanting.

Visiting a Temple or Gurudwara as a Newcomer: What to Know

Dress modestly (shoulders and knees covered) and remove your shoes before entering any mandir or gurudwara. Photography inside the main shrine area is often restricted, so ask before taking pictures. Many of these buildings are registered with the Dutch authorities as a "Stichting" (foundation) under a formal name that can differ from what the community calls it day to day, so a quick phone call or message ahead is worth it before a first visit, especially if you are bringing a group. Because nearly every one of these places is run on volunteer time rather than paid clergy, the main day for communal worship across almost all of them is Sunday, not necessarily the day a festival falls on in the Hindu, Sikh or Christian calendar back home.

DesiBiz's directory lists community organisations and cultural associations across these same cities, a good next stop for finding the Ganesh Mandal, gurudwara committee, or Kerala parish nearest you once you know which one you are looking for.

References

• Hinduism in the Netherlands, Wikipedia
• Overzicht van (Hindoe-)tempels in Nederland, Hindorama
• Mandirs, Hindoeraad Nederland
• Sewa Dhaam, Hindoecentrum Sewa Dhaam
• Radha Krishna Mandir Amsterdam Osdorp
• ASAN Nederland, Arya Samaj Nederland
• Sikhism in the Netherlands, Wikipedia
• Gurudwaras in Netherlands, World Gurudwaras
• Gurudwara In Nederland, Sikhs.nl
• Vereniging Arulmigu Sri Arunachaleswarar Hindoe Geloof and Cultureel Centrum, Beverwijk
• Tamilprocessie Beverwijk als expressie van verbinding met de ander, Nieuw Wij
• Shri Swaminarayan Jayanti and Shri Rama Navmi Celebrations, Amsterdam, BAPS
• St. Thomas Christians Netherlands, Syro-Malabar Catholic Mission
• ISKCON Amsterdam, ISKCON Centres
• ISKCON Eindhoven Netherlands, ISKCON Centres