The Community of the Many Names of God was founded on the worship of God in his Universality in accordance with the spiritual teachings of Lord Krishna as in the Bhagavad-Gita. It was established as a monastic centre in Wales in 1973, although the Temple had been founded 20 years previously in London. The present 115 acre site was originally three adjacent farms and a small block of woodland which were separately purchased and amalgamated by the Community as the grounds of Skanda Vale Monastery.

Its first Temple dedicated to Lord Subramanium was registered as a place of public worship in 1975. The Community became a Registered Charity in 1980 (No. 511166) and is administered by a Board of Trustees whose Chairman is Guru Sri Subramanium, the Community's founder and spiritual director.

 

Objectives of the Charity:
1) To promote, for the benefit of the public, the public worship of God in his Universality in accordance with the spiritual teachings of Krishna as set out in the Bhagavad-Gita, at the Hindu Temple maintained by the Community at Skanda Vale or any other places of public worship maintained or used by the Community.
 

2) To advance religion and religious education by propagating to the public the said spiritual teachings about the worship of God in his Universality.
 

3) To maintain a community of people living together in accordance with the aforesaid spiritual teachings as a religious community promoting such public worship both at the temples maintained by the Community and elsewhere, offering shelter, hospitality and spiritual refreshment and where relevant relief from poverty to those who by reason of penury, physical disability or any form of mental or spiritual breakdown are in need of such refuge without regard to race or creed, sending out members of the Community to provide spiritual refreshment and spiritual advice to members of the public who are for the foregoing reason in need of such refreshment or advice and assisting in the rehabilitation of alcoholics, drug addicts or delinquents who are in need of such rehabilitation.
 

4) To relieve the poverty of deserving persons who are in need and to support by donations and otherwise charitable institutions for the relief of poverty.
 

5) To relieve the sickness and suffering and to promote the spiritual well being of persons of all ages requiring palliative, specialist and medical care by the provision of home care and hospice care for both day patients and resident patients.

 

The Community consists of a nucleus of both monks and nuns who take Franciscan vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, as well as some resident lay members. In addition, the Community provides spiritual refreshment to a large number of devotees living both in Britain and abroad.

 

Recognising the presence of God in all of creation, Skanda Vale is a sanctuary for all of life. The members of the Community in fulfilment of their spiritual practice look after a wide variety of birds and animals, many of whom have been saved from slaughter, including some unusual species.

 

In March 2004 the Skanda Vale Hospice Day Care Centre was inaugurated which is now fully functional caring for terminally ill day patients. In the near future the service will be further developed to include a Residential Care Hospice which will be available without geographical restrictions to all, both our devotees and the local community.

 

Skanda Vale comprises three separate Temples, one dedicated to Lord Subramanium (Lord Murugan), one dedicated to Maha Shakti, the Mother aspect of God and one dedicated to Lord Ranganatha (Lord Vishnu), the Preserver in all his aspects.

 

Lord Ranganatha

 

Timeless Consciousness of God
(Sanathana Dharma)

 

Fundamental to Skanda Vale is the worship of God in His universality, without recognition of any differences based on religion, culture or ethnic origin. God is one, though His names are many.

 

Accordingly, the major religious faiths are represented in the three Temples, each depicting a different facet of the totality of God's association with humanity and all life.

 

The Community does not seek to convert others - rather, the aim is to enhance the original faith of each individual by encouraging personal spiritual experience.