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Prime Minister and Home Secretary of United Kingdom Visit Neasden Temple for Diwali, London, UK

7 Nov 2021

British Prime Minister and Home Secretary Celebrate Diwali at Neasden Temple

Prime Minister Boris Johnson was greeted in traditional Hindu manner by the head of the Mandir, Yogvivekdas Swami

This was the fifth time Mr Johnson was visiting Neasden Temple

The Prime Minister was joined by the Home Secretary, Ms Priti Patel

Prime Minister Johnson offered a fruit basket as a part of the annakut offering for the Hindu New Year

“Wishing everyone a Shubh Deepavali and Nutan Varash Abhinandan. Love from Boris, Carrie and Wilf Johnson”

The Home Secretary also shared a personal note of greetings for the auspicious occasion

The Prime Minister and Home Secretary took several minutes to enjoy the intricate architecture of the Mandir

Along his route, Prime Minister Johnson met several devotees and volunteers of the Mandir

The Prime Minister and Home Secretary participated in the abhishek ceremony of Shri Nilkanth Varni, the teenage form of Bhagwan Swaminarayan

Yogvivekdas Swami joined the Prime Minister, praying for the well-being, safety and prosperity of the nation

The Prime Minister also met some of the resident swamis, who played a vital role in providing pastoral care to thousands during the pandemic

The Prime Minister and Home Secretary were then provided a brief overview of some of the recent work by BAPS in the UK, such as the ‘Cycle to Save Lives’ charity challenge that raised more than £700,000 for Covid relief work in India

The distinguished guests were introduced to some of the volunteers who managed the ‘Connect & Care’ programme, reaching out to the elderly, needy and vulnerable during the Covid-19 crisis

Here, the Prime Minister and Home Secretary are meeting some of the BAPS devotees who serve in the NHS as frontline keyworkers

The Prime Minister and Home Secretary also met pilots from British Airways, who partnered with Neasden Temple to transport emergency medical supplies to India to save lives during the peak of the coronavirus pandemic

Prime Minister Johnson met some of the inspirational female volunteers who play an integral part of the Mandir’s activities and services

The Home Secretary scanned a QR code to join a special <a href='https://t.me/TheFirstofitsKind' target='blank' style='text-decoration:underline; color:blue;'>communication channel</a> for an upcoming documentary series about the Mandir

The Home Secretary scanned a QR code to join a special communication channel for an upcoming documentary series about the Mandir

The 14-episode documentary is called <a href='http://www.thefirstofitskind.org' target='blank' style='text-decoration:underline; color:blue;'>“The First of its Kind”</a>, which chronicles the fascinating untold story of Neasden Temple and its creator, HH Pramukh Swami Maharaj

The 14-episode documentary is called “The First of its Kind”, which chronicles the fascinating untold story of Neasden Temple and its creator, HH Pramukh Swami Maharaj

Jitu Patel, a BAPS trustee, presented the Prime Minister with some Diwali gifts, including something for his young son, Wilfred

Before departing, the Home Secretary spoke about the “incredible work” of the Mandir, which the Prime Minister lauded as “an absolutely perfect representation of community spirit in action”