A special day of continuous prayers was held at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Wellingborough, on Sunday 17 April 2022. Thousands of worshippers and visitors from around the UK convened to pray for success, peace and harmony to prevail in communities across the world.
The prayers began at 7.00am, with visitors joining throughout the day to offer their devotion at the ‘Akshar Deri’, a beautiful shrine housed within the mandir.
Rakhee Chauhan travelled from Birmingham with her husband for the occasion. Sharing her impressions on the day, she remarked, “It was wonderful to attend this event in-person after three years. Seeing the welcome from the local community was truly inspiring. The experience of inner peace I have felt is something that I will cherish.”
This year’s prayers were particularly poignant as the world emerges from the ongoing uncertainty and challenges caused by the coronavirus pandemic and the current humanitarian crisis unfolding in Ukraine. Mahant Swami Maharaj sent a special video message in which he shared that he is also praying for the safety, righteous prosperity and harmony of communities around the world.
In honour of Pramukh Swami Maharaj on the occasion of his centennial birth anniversary, over seventy cyclists rode more than 100 kilometres to Wellingborough after departing from BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, London, earlier that morning.
The prayers continued uninterrupted through to 7.00pm, when the day’s chanting and months of preparations were brought to a conclusion.
Rajesh Ladwa, lead volunteer at the mandir, shared, “People from across the country have united here today to offer their prayers for the well-being of the community and the world at large. We continue to pray for those who have suffered losses and hope that goodwill prevails locally, nationally and globally.”