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Pay-as-you-pray
Indian temple where priest is Nigerian

Located at the end of a lonely street, India-Hindus Ancient Spiritual Temple has an eerie aura. With its external wall recently re-done with pink tiles, Lord Simbad’s Temple, as the place is also called, glitters in the sun like a coin in the desert. Its entrance is festooned with flags of different nations. A gentle breeze unfurled them and set them fluttering and dancing wildly to a spooky Indian music.
Other residents around Godwin Nneke Street, Abule Oshun in Lagos, look at the place with awe and suspicion. A nursery and primary school next to it has a curious name: “God with us” and, perhaps, smacks of a deep-rooted fear and fervent prayer for the protection of both the owners and the innocent neighbourhood tots who go there daily.
Incense and gods
A stone-faced gateman ushers visitors to the reception of the temple, which promises “100 per cent spiritual intensive” on its billboards. Right on the threshold of the temple, incense wafts from its inner sanctum.
A framed ethereal painting of Vishua – a Hindu deity – hanging on the temple’s reception wall beams at the visitor in a permanent gaze. A dark, wiry male receptionist in orange shorts interviews all visitors, demanding their names, how they got to know about the temple, mission, occupation, address and bio-data.
Consultation
Satisfied, the receptionist gives out a visitor’s form to fill. The form is boldly labeled in red: INDIA-HINDUS ANCIENT SPIRITUAL TEMPLE and ORBEDIAC WHITE LODGE SOCIETY, ASHRAM TEMPLE.
The form is partly coded in ancient writing. It is probably derived from Sanskrit or sacred text of Hinduism. Or, it may be an esoteric writing code only known to members of temple.
Just like the ordinary visitor’s form, a visitor is expected to write the day’s date, name, address, name of his company, person required, “purpose of visit” and the clincher is coded: “How did you know here?” The visitor is further required to supply his/her telephone number before signing his signature.
On the ‘official use only’ column of the form, a visitor may be ushered into yet another reception to “come in, wait, come back on, see Mr/Mrs/Miss, will be contacted when necessary.” On the form, the temple boldly boasts to have “defeated the spiritual temple world.” The place also claims to be an Ashram.