In 1950, the employees of the field section of Stable Barracks were relocated to New Cottage, a housing settlement, near the White House Hotel. The houses consisted of two bedrooms, a kitchen, lounge, bathroom and toilet. These were brick and tile dwellings. They then requested the Sugar Company to provide a temple for them.

A Shree Emperumal Temple was built for the Hindu worshippers in New Cottage. The New Cottage Temple Committee members were Dharamalingam Moodley, Dorasamy Tamarah (Meesakara), N. Moonsamy (Vadivel), Valaydam, Muthu, Appalsamy Veerasamy, Moonsamy No.9, Harrypersadh Badhloo (Harry), Balram, Kanabathy, B. Nagappa (Aroo), Dhookaran, Mothilall, Sookoo, Ramkisoon and Latchana. The residents of Mount Edgecombe Estate – Field Section – managed the New Cottage Shree Emperumal Temple since 1950. Owing to the rapid development in the area and the Sugar Estate dwindling in size, the field workers residing in New Cottage were relocated to other sugar estates. Their homes became vacant and the mill workers and Central Board of the South African Sugar Association were moved into the vacant homes. Vacant land around New Cottage was sold in the open market. The New Cottage Temple closed after the original residents moved out.

A religious organisation showed interest in buying the temple property, but the Shree Emperumal Temple Society raised strong objections. They argued the temple was of historical significance and had to be preserved. After protracted negotiations, with the assistance of the community, the Shree Emperumal Temple Society purchased the temple property for R18000.00.

The process ended when the New Cottage Shree Emperumal Temple property was transferred to the Shree Emperumal Hindu Temple Society. The struggle to maintain traditions despite adversity, in many ways is symptomatic of the resilience of the Mount Edgecombe community.