No, I had not been in a fight in Leith

Today I attended the opening of the Hindu Mandir Cultural Centre in Leith. The Heritage Lottery Fund had contributed towards the restoration and conversion for this purpose of the former St Andrews Church, which had lain derelict for a number of years, and I was invited to speak at the event.

On being asked to remove my shoes on arrival, I was very pleased with myself that I was wearing socks that were not only a matching pair, but in fact brand new. I was also given a red mark on my forehead - a sign of welcome - which I proudly wore for the rest of day (much to the amusement of family members who asked if I'd been in a fight). I was led to the food table, where we were treated to the most fabulous spread of delicacies - curries, dahls, fresh nan bread, raita and varieties of pekora. I joined a table of three men from the Hindu community who patiently answered all my questions about their arrival in Edinburgh and their culture.

The guests were treated to a wonderful display of dancing - classical Indian dance, more up to date Bollywood dancing and some Scottish dancing. I particularly enjoyed the dancing to an Indian mix that included the bagpipes.

The objective of the Centre is not only to provide a place where the Hindu population can gather together for religious and social purposes, but also as a focus for those from other cultures who would like to learn more about Hinduism.

Rarely have I been made to feel more welcome at an event. It was a privileged and humbling experience, and a perfect end to the working week.