Hindu leader Mahant Swami Maharaj to visit Neasden Temple in London

The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, commonly known as the Neasden Temple, is set to have a special visitor next week.

Mahant Swami Maharaj, one of the most respected Hindu leaders in the world, will arrive in London on Tuesday May 2 and stay till Thursday June 8.

A number of events are planned at the temple in north west London over the next few weeks and thousands are expected to attend.

Here’s everything you need to know about the visit.

Who is Mahant Swami Maharaj?

His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj is the sixth spiritual successor of Bhagwan Swaminarayan and present guru of the worldwide fellowship known as BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha. BAPS is a denomination of Hinduism.

For over six decades, he served under the guidance of his gurus Yogiji Maharaj and Pramukh Swami Maharaj, tirelessly visiting villages, towns and cities throughout India and the world.

He has been described as one of the leading Hindu gurus in the world today, serving as an inspirer of personal faith, community service and global harmony.

Story of Neasden Temple

Neasden Temple is Britain’s first authentic Hindu temple and standing some 70 feet high, was for a time it was the largest Hindu temple outside of India.

Using 5,000 tonnes of Bulgarian limestone and Italian and Indian marble, it was hand carved in India before being assembled in London in two and a half years.

The project was assisted by more than 1,000 volunteers who helped with construction and fundraising, including collecting tin cans for recycling.

By the time of its completion in 1995, it had broken a Guinness world record by becoming the biggest Hindu temple outside of India.

Today the temple in Brent attracts half a million visitors every year.

Events for Mahant Swami Maharaj

The community at Neasden Temple has been preparing for the for months and has created a programme on events.

The first event is on Saturday May 6 from 6am to 7.30am, where a “Puja Darshan” will be held for Londoners. Puja is a worship ritual performed by Hindus, Buddhists and Jains to offer devotional homage and prayer to one or more deities, to host and honour a guest, or to spiritually celebrate an event.

During the evening a “swagat din” (welcome event) will be held between 5.30pm and 8pm.

A similar programme will be held on Sunday May 7 to accommodate non-Londoners.

The full programme of events can be found here.

Neepa Patel, an outreach volunteer at Neasden Temple shared her excitement of the upcoming visit.

“His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj last visited in 2017 and he will be visiting us this time for a month,” she said.

“It’s a really exciting time ahead.”