LONDON: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and British Home Secretary from India Priti Patel celebrated Diwali and Hindu New Year with worshipers at Baps Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, London – known as ‘Temple of Neasden’ – on Sundays.
During Johnson’s visit was served with a long-sleeved shirt for his one-year-old son of Wilfred by a seven-year-old girl Amisha Patel, on behalf of Baps, and ‘Onesie’ with a picture of a living temple for her second child brought by his wife.
Johnson was welcomed at the North London temple in a traditional Hindu way with a welcome sign and good intentions before being taken on a short tour of the Batu Temple complex.
The secretary of the house, wearing a stunning Pink Lehenga, was also welcomed on his arrival and joined the Prime Minister to offer a fruit basket at the Temple Temple of Sanctum Inner Temple, where they spent several minutes absorbing peace and complicated architecture.
Here, they also observed Annakut – literally, ‘mountain food’ – arranged artistically before the gods as the first new year’s food, offered in Thanksgiving for the friendly providence of God and then shared among worshipers.
They then featured Abhishek (ancient Hindus practices with prayer pouring water above the sacred image) Shri Nilatkanth Varni, young shape of Bhagwan Swaminarayan, popular Hindu god.
They then saw the exhibition that summarized the Covid-19 Covid-19 Neasen relief effort – an initiative inspired by his holiness of Mahant Swami Maharaj, spiritual leader Baps Swinamayan Sansta.
Hindu’s global leader has published a call in March 2020 for all BAPS volunteers to serve parents, need and vulnerable in the local community during a pandemic.
They then met several BAP-BAP-BAP-BAP-BAP-BAPS India who had become the main workers and those who had volunteered, prepared and sent food to the vulnerable, and the team keeping the community connected and informed through online services.
Johnson said: “What His Majesty Swami Maharaj Pramukh has contributed to England cannot be counted.
I see it here today at the Temple of Neasen.
I’ve been here many times, but I don’t think I’ve been here when the Neasden Temple is so important For the lives of the entire London community.
Happy Diwali and Happy New Year for everyone in the Hindu community in the UK.
“Patel is a BAP-BAP-BAPS Defotee regularly visited the Temple of Neasden.
Born in London to the Uganda-India family, his parents and grandparents were worshipers at the Baps Temple in Kampala, Uganda.
His grandparents, born in Gujarat, had, in the 1950s moved to Uganda.
The family was then released by Idi Amin, former President Uganda, and Patel’s parents moved to England.
His grandfather was Chairman of the Uganda Baps.