Temple de Morange
Saint-Benoît, Réunion
- Deities
- Kali, Surya
- Traditions
- shakta, other
- Worship status
- active
- Coordinates
- -21.1, 55.7332
- Darshan hours
- Varies by season; consult the local Tamil Hindu community for the current schedule before visiting.
- Best time to visit
- As a Kali-dedicated temple, Navratri/Kali-related festival days are likely significant, though this temple's own festival calendar was not independently documented this pass.
- How to reach
- At the former Morange sugar estate, Saint-Benoît, on Réunion's east coast.
Location
Open in Google MapsConstruction of the Temple de Morange began in 1947, with its bell tower added in 1949, on the grounds of the former Morange sugar estate in Saint-Benoît, on Réunion’s east coast. It was built by Léon Valliamé, who had acquired the Morange lands in the late 19th century, expressly “so that Indian labourers could practice their religion in a more appropriate setting” - a direct link to the temple-building tradition of Réunion’s 19th- and 20th-century indentured Tamil Hindu community. It was registered as a French historic monument on 17 September 2010.
The temple honours two principal deities: Kali, the fierce form of the Devi, and Surya, the Hindu solar deity - a relatively unusual joint dedication. It also preserves several relics of the former Morange sugar processing facility on its grounds, including an antique sugar-cane weighing scale, physically linking the temple to the plantation labour history from which Réunion’s Tamil Hindu community emerged.
Sources
- historical record: Cross-checked against French Wikipedia's dedicated 'Temple de Morange' article: construction began in 1947 (bell tower/steeple 1949) by Léon Valliamé, who had acquired the Morange lands in the late 19th century and built the temple 'so that Indian labourers could practice their religion in a more appropriate setting'; registered as a French historic monument since 17 September 2010. The temple honours Kali and Surya, the Hindu solar deity, and preserves relics of the former Morange sugar factory, including an antique sugar-cane scale.
For review
- The 'Surya' tradition classification uses 'other' alongside 'shakta' (for Kali) since Surya worship does not map cleanly onto the vaishnava/shaiva/shakta/smarta categories used elsewhere in this directory's schema.