BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, London – popularly known as Neasden Temple – hosted one of the UK’s largest celebrations of Diwali on Thursday 31 October 2024.
Thousands of people of all ages and diverse backgrounds came together from across Greater London and beyond to celebrate the Hindu ‘Festival of Light’ with a vibrant blend of devotional ceremonies, traditional decorations, and cultural activities, creating an inspiring atmosphere of community, light, hope, and faith.
The Mandir was beautifully decorated with intricate rangoli patterns and colourful ornaments, reflecting the spirit of Diwali and adding to the vibrant celebratory atmosphere.
A special prayer ceremony (Sharda Pujan) was held during the evening to mark the last day of the year according to the Hindu lunar calendar. Devotees paid homage to Saraswati Devi, the Hindu deity of knowledge, the arts, and wisdom, and offered prayers for health, prosperity, and well-being for everyone ahead of the new year.
The highlight of the evening on Diwali was the spectacular fireworks display, lighting up the skies of north London with vibrant colours and sounds. The colourful celebration captivated both locals and visitors, symbolising the community spirit and joy that Diwali brings.
On Saturday 2 November, the Mandir heralded the Hindu New Year with devotional music and traditional Hindu prayers from early morning.
The focus of the celebrations was the ‘annakut’, where hundreds of food dishes were lovingly prepared, artistically arranged, and devoutly offered to the deities by worshippers in the spirit of gratitude and reverence. The sanctified food was later distributed among devotees, volunteers, and visitors.
His Excellency Vikram Doraiswami, High Commissioner of India to the United Kingdom, joined the congregation in the evening to commemorate the Hindu New Year. In his address, Mr Doraiswami reflected on the Swaminarayan tradition of passing on learning, before adding, “Here [at Neasden Temple], you see the cycle of life, the cycle of faith, and, most of all, through the Annakut, you see the cycle of service – this enormous and impressive offering of bhakti (devotion).”
Across both Diwali and the Hindu New Year, visitors enjoyed a variety of delicious vegetarian street food, with stalls offering freshly made sweets, savoury snacks, and traditional delicacies, adding to the warm, festive atmosphere.
Manoj Patel, a leading volunteer at the Mandir during the Diwali festivities, explained, “We were delighted to welcome so many to celebrate Diwali and the Hindu New Year with us. We are inspired by His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj, who teaches us to serve everyone by seeing goodness and divinity within them. Diwali is all about improving oneself, connecting with God, and helping others, so what better way to embody this than by bringing everyone together and celebrating this deeply meaningful festival.”
This year, Neasden Temple also participated in and contributed to various Diwali celebrations in the community, including:
• At Great Ormond Street Hospital, one of the oldest children’s hospitals in the world, where BAPS volunteers supported Chinmaya Mission and the National Hindu Students Forum to bring a heartwarming spirit of joy to the young patients, their families, and the dedicated hospital staff
• ‘Diwali in London’ at Trafalgar Square, where BAPS volunteers led the Harmony Zone, bringing to life Diwali’s value of devotion and celebrating the unity with other Hindu communities, while youths from the Mandir sang soulful bhajans in the new Bhajan Zone
• At the Foreign Office with Catherine West MP, Minister for the Indo-Pacific
• With Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer at Number 10, where children from the Mandir recited Vedic prayers
• At the British Airways global office in Waterside
As a part of its ongoing charity contributions, Neasden Temple worked with Tesco to collect and distribute food to various local food banks and charities to ensure that those in need are not forgotten during this time of celebration.