The Arts Society Welwyn Garden visit to Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, the 'Neasden Temple'

Mandir is the Hindu word for temple. The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Neasden, north London, was built between 1991 and 1995, and is the largest Hindu temple in Europe.

Much of the exterior of the temple is made from Bulgarian limestone and the interiors from Indian and Italian marble. Carved by craftsmen in India, the marble was then shipped to London in large blocks, where a large team of volunteers assembled them like a giant jigsaw puzzle, following the design of Indian architect C B Sompura. The carvings are very detailed with many unique designs.

During our visit we were able to watch an Aarti ceremony and observe some of the rituals that are part of this service; this included lighted wicks being waved in front of the deities to express love and gratitude. This took place in the centre of the Mandir under the 10 metre high carved dome. Statues, known as murtis, stand in shrines around this inner hall and presented a blaze of gold and colour. The murtis are not just art; they are ritually consecrated and treated as living deities receiving food and care. Rhythmic music accompanied the ceremony.

Another of the highlights of the day was the vegetarian buffet lunch at the Shayona restaurant. The naan bread received high praise, as did the pea and cauliflower curry. The food is cooked without onion or garlic, consistent with the dietary requirements of Swaminarayan, but you wouldn’t know from the interesting tastes. A visit to the exhibition ‘Understanding Hinduism’ concluded our interesting day.

Thank you to the Committee members who made our visit to the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir a success.