What was once an idea is now reality. The Dharmic Prayer Room officially... opened on 9th April 2026! This space is a multifaith prayer room that contains idols. The distinction made here reflects the nuance of religion, not all religions accept idol worship and some can get offended by the practice. But to some, idol worship is how they communicate and pray to their Gods and Goddesses. The purposeful signage and intent of the room makes clear to those entering this space that idols will be present, so that there are no surprises.The room accommodates to those that follow Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism and so the room is a drop-in prayer room for staff and students from these communities to use throughout the day. To build upon the local staff and student communities, the room can be booked to run thematic events. The Hinduism Society, the Buddhism & Meditation Society and the Sikh Society will usually run thematic events in the late afternoons and evenings. The room is in Appleton Tower on the first floor, between the entrances to Lecture Hall 4 and the room code is 1.09. The room will be accessible whilst the building is open, so between 8.30am and 9pm. Remember to take your shoes off when entering the space! There are shoe cupboards in the room to place them in. This room is for use of activities centering around Dharmic worship and faiths. Priority will be given to student and staff faith groups (Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Jainism) for booking. The room will be usable as a drop in prayer space between: 08:30 - 16:00 And an events space (if events are happening here) between: 16:00 - 21:00 This is a University Prayer Room however the Students’ Association looks after the room bookings. Please email: rooms-bookings@eusa.ed.ac.uk to book the room. Publication date 26 May, 2026