THE FAMILY of a seven-year-old who died of cancer want to remember her by building Bendigo's only Hindu temple.
Brishti Shrestha passed away last year after a battle with an incurable brain tumour, her father Umesh said.
Mr Shrestha has submitted plans to the City of Greater Bendigo for a small temple at the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion's peace park.
"There are other kids in Australia who are dying with this disease," he said.
"What we are doing should not just be in remembrance of my daughter. It should be for all those little kids who pass away due to that terrible brain tumour."
Brishti's cancer - known as diffused intrinsic pontine glioma - is the most aggressive of all childhood malignancies and surgery is often not possible because of tumours' sensitive location in the brain stem, according to the Children's Cancer Institute.
Brishti was born in Bendigo, where she lived her whole life. She died last year on her birthday, Mr Shrestha said.
The family moved to Melbourne after Brishti's death, though they hope to return in the years to come after they processed their loss.
In the meantime, they hope to build Victoria's only Hindu temple designed in a Nepalese building style.
The temple would service a growing Hindu community that currently lacks a nearby place to worship, Mr Shrestha said.
"Everyone has to travel down to Melbourne for worshiping in temples," Mr Shrestha said.
"When the temple is built I am confident that more Hindus around Victoria will visit Bendigo, which will definitely promote the tourism industry."
The temple could join statues and sacred spaces at the peace park, which is open to people of all faiths in Bendigo.
An Islamic meditation cave is also talking shape and Sri Lanka's Bendigo Sikh community has just ordered an Ik Onkar symbol from India as its plans progress, Great Stupa chairman Ian Green said.
"I can imagine the park will be transformed over the rest of the year (by these projects). We have a vision for it and people will soon really be able to see that take shape," he said.
Mr Shrestha is financing the temple from money that was originally donated by Rotary Club members, Powercor employees and friends and family across Australia and Nepal.
Much of the money was originally donated so that Brishti could take a trip to Disneyland before she died.
"Unfortunately, she could not fly, so we could not take her," Mr Shrestha said.
Several tradies have volunteered their skills to help build the temple, though Mr Shrestha said people hoping to donate skills, time or money are welcome to get in touch.
"I'm still looking for a plumber and a tiler," he said.
He encouraged anyone who wanted to help to contact him on 0400 755 486.
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Tom O'Callaghan
I grew up in Bendigo and I want to tell your stories.
I grew up in Bendigo and I want to tell your stories.
