Most Hindus in Wolverhampton originate from India and East Africa. Those from India settled mainly in the mid-1960s. East African Asians came to the UK following their forced expatriations from Kenya (from 1968) and Uganda (1972).

The purpose-built Mandir at Penn Road stands on the site of an older building purchased by a group of Hindus for £15,000 in the 1970s. The group oversaw significant renovations and alterations to create a large worship hall and kitchen. The buildings external façade was in advanced disrepair, however, and, after carefully considering the objections of local residents, the committee agreed to have the building demolished. Plans were drawn up for a new temple; the planning application and construction took 20 years to complete.

Many towns and villages in India have temples, but Hindus are not compelled to visit them. Prayer and devotion are mainly practiced at domestic shrines. In the UK, Hindu temples fulfil a social function. Whereas the extended family system in India provides a context for worship, this did not exist for those who settled in the UK in the 1960s and 1970s. The impetus to found the Shree Krishnan Mandir came from Asians expelled from East Africa. East African Hindus had established Mandirs in Africa and were accustomed to worshipping at temples. Mandirs in Wolverhampton continue to provide a social context for worship equivalent to the extended family in India.

Hindus have many deities that are the subject of worship, each being a particular aspect of a single supreme godhead. In India, local Mandirs and domestic shrines vary in which image is revered. The Hindu Sabha and Shree Krishan Mandir is typical of UK Mandirs in providing images of all deities to accommodate worshippers originating from throughout the sub-continent.

Hindu Sabha and Shree Krishan Mandir, Penn Road   Sarsvati, goddess of music   The Shrine Room