By: Aswathy Nair
ONE OF London’s best known Hindu temples, the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in north London, marks its silver jubilee anniversary this weekend with virtual celebrations that will be watched by millions in the UK and abroad.
It was on August 20, 1995, that the temple in Neasden was inaugurated by the revered spiritual leader, His Holiness Param Pujya Pramukh Swami Maharaj.
Built at astonishing speed, with a large army of volunteers aiding builders, architects and expert craftsmen, the temple has become a focal point for not only British Indians, but the wider community in general.
Traditional spires, intricate woodwork in the haveli style and intricate stone pillars are hallmarks of the temple. Its stones, sourced from Bulgaria and Italy, were sent to India for carving, before they were shipped to London.
Members of royalty, including Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, as well as a succession of prime ministers – Tony Blair, David Cameron and Boris Johnson – have all visited the temple in northwest London.
This weekend, a highlight of the 25th anniversary celebrations will be a “Vishwa Shanti Mahapuja” – a Vedic ceremony conducted from the temple shrines by the resident priests and which will be webcast live at neasdentemple.org.
Pujya Yogvivek Swami, head priest at the temple, told Eastern Eye: “These are Vedic rituals, prayers for world peace and for everyone to progress in their lives.
“We expect more than 10,000 households to participate in that Maha Puja.
“All the rituals will be conducted by swamis in the temple, in front of the sacred images of God, and that will be webcast worldwide.”
Special prayers will be held on Saturday (22) between 3 pm and 5 pm.
“We will engage everyone in collective prayers for this occasion,” Pujya Yogvivek Swami said.
The next day, Sunday (23) will see the Mahapuja being conducted.
According to a statement from the temple, the Mahapuja is an ancient holy ritual which involves making “devotional offerings to the chanting of powerful Vedic mantras, with the sentiments of reverence, adoration and gratitude to God.
“The millennia-old Vedic prayers and mantras chanted during the Mahapuja bestow purity, peace and harmony in the world. The Mahapuja can also bring peace of mind, righteous prosperity and family harmony to the participants.”
The special prayers will also provide an opportunity for devotees across the UK, Europe and the rest of the world to pray for those affected by the global Covid-19 pandemic, the temple said.
Families have been sent a special pack of materials containing the items needed to take part in the ceremony from their homes.
Later, there will be a musical tribute and anniversary celebrations that will reflect key events from the past 25 years, showing how the temple has become a place of worship, keeping traditional values alive and building strong links among communities, Pujya Yogvivek Swami added.
This year also marks the 50th anniversary of the visit of HH Pujya Yogiji Maharaj, whose visit to London in 1970 was the first step in the journey to the establishment of the BAPS temple in Neasden.
When the respected spiritual leader arrived in London, Garavi Gujarat (Eastern Eye’s sister title) magazine published a special issue to mark the landmark visit.
In it, editor in chief Ramniklal Solanki said, “We hope Pujya Yogiji Maharaj’s visit will instil a new hope and new life in the Gujarati community.
“Yogjji Maharaj’s visit is essential to provide mental peace to Gujaratis living in UK who need spiritual protection against the onslaught of Western materialism. Such visits will help them to preserve their religious and cultural values.”
To mark this important milestone, Garavi Gujarat will publish a special commemorative issue highlighting the history of the BAPS temple and its role in bringing communities together.
Lord Jitesh Gadhia, who has contributed a column in the collector’s edition, said the temple created a collective sense of pride in how far the Indian community had progressed in the UK.
“It almost felt like the mandir bells of Neasden were ringing out: ‘we have arrived’”.
The peer reflected on how the Neasden temple “filled a big vacuum in Hindu representation attracting worshipers, celebrities, presidents and royalty from the world over”.
He said, “For communities accustomed to using converted churches or makeshift alters in school halls, it gave expression to their Hindu identity and created a collective sense of pride.”
There is also an exclusive interview with Pujya Yogvivek Swami.
To order a copy of the commemorative issue, email [email protected] or call 020 7928 1234 or subscribe here
