Tamil migration to Germany which was mainly composed of higher education and labor migrants increased in the late 1980s and onwards mainly due to the escalation of the Sri Lankan Civil War which saw tens of thousands of those belonging to the Tamil community fleeing the country and seeking asylum elsewhere abroad.

[3] It is found that most Tamils, irrespective of their Indian and Sri Lankan origins all tended to practice Hinduism and especially Shaivism.

The annual temple festival attracts some 15,000 visitors and has become a central pilgrimage place for Tamil Hindus all over Europe.

[1] Additionally, since the late 1980s, Tamil Hindus founded numerous temples, numbering about 25 places of worship in early 2005.

The temples are situated in cellars and flats, some in former warehouses and industrial halls.