A suburban home was converted into a stunning Thai Buddhist temple after an £120,000 renovation. The Dhammapadipa Temple, at 199 Slateford Road, Edinburgh, was opened in 2005 in response to the Indian Ocean tsunami on Boxing Day 2004.
It was going to be moved to a mansion in the south east of the city with the financial help of Leicester City FC chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, until his death in a helicopter tragedy in 2018. Buddhist monks decided to stick with the temple's long-term home, and £50,000 was poured into a massive refurb, although many tradesmen contributed time and materials which would have brought the cost to around £120,000.
The temple is open to the public and ran a foodbank during the pandemic, as well as teaching meditation which is popular with many non-Buddhists. A new 500kg gold leaf Buddha has gone on display, which will be exhibited in the National Museum of Scotland next year.
