Pramukh Swami Maharaj inaugurated BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, London, on 20 August 1995. Since that auspicious day, he visited the UK and Europe eight times, showering devotees and well-wishers with immeasurable bliss.
Over those visits, every room, every passageway, every corner of London Mandir has been infused with unforgettable and inspiring moments of his presence.
On Sunday 16 August 2020, a special online programme brought these historic memories alive through a montage of eye-witness accounts and unseen footage from the past 25 years.
The video and photo montages were interspersed with narrations from swamis who shared their insights and the backstory behind these incidents. It revealed the spiritual love, sacrifice and compassion of Pramukh Swami Maharaj to please and inspire young and old.
The programme concluded with a pledge of gratitude to Pramukh Swami Maharaj and a final collage of recollections from Mahant Swami Maharaj’s visit to the UK in 2017. It revealed how he has continued Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s legacy of unconditional love and gifted new chapters of blissful memories.
The heart-warming programme rekindled golden memories for those present during his visits, while for others, particularly younger children, it presented an opportunity to learn, appreciate and be inspired by the selfless love that Pramukh Swami Maharaj showered upon the devotees of UK and Europe.
Darshan Alaiya, aged 14, from Barnet, UK, said: “My dad always tells me about the special places and moments here at the Mandir with Pramukh Swami Maharaj. I now understand how precious these places are in the Mandir and I feel so lucky to have seen these. They are just as special for me now.”
Rita Patel, a devotee added, “I am lost for words. Those wonderful memories of great festivals with Bapa [Pramukh Swami Maharaj] here in London, and witnessing so many of his daily acts of service – watching him guide, console, laugh with us and stand beside us through every stage of our lives – these moments were truly brought to life. The programme truly filled my heart with warmth and joy.”