A special day of continuous prayers was held at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Wellingborough, on Sunday 30 April 2023. 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.
Ankita Odedra travelled from Leicester with her two children for the occasion. Sharing her thoughts on the day, she remarked, “We were able to offer our prayers as a family today, especially for those facing difficult times in the current climate. It was a lovely experience, and we were warmly received by the many other devotees in attendance.”
This year’s prayers were particularly poignant amidst the continuing unrest across the world. Mahant Swami Maharaj, who is scheduled to arrive in London this week, sent a special message adding that he, too, had prayed for the safety, righteous prosperity and harmony of communities around the world.
The prayers continued uninterrupted until 7.00pm, when the day’s chanting and months of preparations were brought to a conclusion.
Rajesh Ladwa, lead volunteer at the mandir, shared, “This event is an excellent opportunity for collective prayer when we can all come together and pray for everyone – for our neighbours, for our nation, for the whole world. We also extended our prayers to Their Majesties The King and The Queen Consort, as we look forward to the coronation celebrations in the coming days.”