The murtis at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Preston, UK were infused with the divine presence of God by Pramukh Swami Maharaj in Sarangpur, India, on 29 June 2015. On the morning of Sunday 8 November, the inauguration of the new mandir was celebrated as the murtis were ceremonially consecrated in their respective shrines by Sadguru Pujya Doctor Swami amid Vedic chanting and rituals.
The 3rd anniversary of the Mandir was celebrated in the presence of swamis on the evening of Wednesday 14 November 2018.
Swamis began the ‘patotsav’ – marking the anniversary of the Mandir’s opening and the calendric day that its murtis were first infused with the divine presence of God – with a special Vedic ceremony in the evening. Devotees also prayed for God to bless the world with peace, prosperity and harmony by participating in the mahapuja.
A variety of sweet and savoury dishes were offered to the deities in the main shrines to thank God for his providence. Worshippers observed this ‘annakut’ and also participated in the abhishek of Shri Nilkanth Varni.
The evening ended with a special sabha where various swamis spoke about the benefits of the mandir, satsang and seva, and with prasangs of Mahant Swami Maharaj.