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Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, London (Willesden)
Encyclopedia
Shree Swaminarayan Temple Willesden is a Swaminarayan Mandir in the London
suburb of Willesden
. It is the first Swaminarayan Mandir to be opened in the city. Today the Swaminarayan Sampraday
has six Swaminarayan Mandirs across London alone.
. On the auspicious day of Sharad Purnima on 11 October 1975, Acharya Maharajshree Tejendraprasad Pande
installed the murtis of Swaminarayan, NarNarayan Dev, Radha Krishna
Dev, Hanuman
and Ganesh.
s over time. New activities had also been introduced such as Gujarati language
classes, a library, and a picture framing service as well as other youth activities.
An adjoining building was bought thinking that it would solve the problem, but even so this could not meet the needs.
In 1986 a proposal was put forward to demolish the two existing buildings and in its place build a three temple story complex, which would combine the traditional Hindu Temple architecture and British designs. The ceremonial stone was laid on 12 October 1986. On 29 July 1988, Acharya Maharajshree Tejendraprasad Pande
opened the new building.
Apart from the above, the temple has also been active in providing assistance during natural disasters. For example, the temple organised a charity walk to help provide aid for the 2004 tsunami
that struck South Asia
. A few years before that, in 2001 the temple took up the responsibility for coordinating relief work for the Gujarat earthquake from London. The temple sent 60 tons of clothing and blankets to affected areas.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
suburb of Willesden
Willesden
Willesden is an area in North West London which forms part of the London Borough of Brent. It is situated 5 miles north west of Charing Cross...
. It is the first Swaminarayan Mandir to be opened in the city. Today the Swaminarayan Sampraday
Swaminarayan Sampraday
Swaminarayan Sampraday , known previously as the Uddhav Sampraday, is a Hindu sect established by Swaminarayan...
has six Swaminarayan Mandirs across London alone.
History
In 1975, a disused church on Willesden Lane was bought and renovatedAdaptive reuse
Adaptive reuse refers to the process of reusing an old site or building for a purpose other than which it was built or designed for. Along with brownfield reclamation, adaptive reuse is seen by many as a key factor in land conservation and the reduction of urban sprawl...
. On the auspicious day of Sharad Purnima on 11 October 1975, Acharya Maharajshree Tejendraprasad Pande
Acharya Maharajshree Tejendraprasad Pande
Sanatan Dharma Dhurandar Acharya Maharaj Shree 1008 Tejendraprasadji Maharaj was appointed Acharya of the Narnarayan Dev gadi of the Swaminarayan Sampraday by his father, the late Acharya Maharajshree Devendraprasadji Maharaj...
installed the murtis of Swaminarayan, NarNarayan Dev, Radha Krishna
Radha Krishna
Radha Krishna is a Hindu deity. Krishna is often referred as svayam bhagavan in Gaudiya Vaishnavism theology and Radha is a young woman, a gopi who is Krishna's supreme beloved. With Krishna, Radha is acknowledged as the Supreme Goddess, for it is said that she controls Krishna with Her love...
Dev, Hanuman
Hanuman
Hanuman , is a Hindu deity, who is an ardent devotee of Rama, a central character in the Indian epic Ramayana and one of the dearest devotees of lord Rama. A general among the vanaras, an ape-like race of forest-dwellers, Hanuman is an incarnation of the divine and a disciple of Lord Rama in the...
and Ganesh.
Renovation
The church building could not accommodate the increasing numbers of satsangiSatsangi
A follower of Swaminarayan is referred to as a Satsangi . There are eight important things in the life of a Satsangi.-Kanthi:Lord Swaminarayan instructed his followers to wear a double stranded kanthi to symbolise Krishna and Radha...
s over time. New activities had also been introduced such as Gujarati language
Gujarati language
Gujarati is an Indo-Aryan language, and part of the greater Indo-European language family. It is derived from a language called Old Gujarati which is the ancestor language of the modern Gujarati and Rajasthani languages...
classes, a library, and a picture framing service as well as other youth activities.
An adjoining building was bought thinking that it would solve the problem, but even so this could not meet the needs.
In 1986 a proposal was put forward to demolish the two existing buildings and in its place build a three temple story complex, which would combine the traditional Hindu Temple architecture and British designs. The ceremonial stone was laid on 12 October 1986. On 29 July 1988, Acharya Maharajshree Tejendraprasad Pande
Acharya Maharajshree Tejendraprasad Pande
Sanatan Dharma Dhurandar Acharya Maharaj Shree 1008 Tejendraprasadji Maharaj was appointed Acharya of the Narnarayan Dev gadi of the Swaminarayan Sampraday by his father, the late Acharya Maharajshree Devendraprasadji Maharaj...
opened the new building.
Activities
The following activities are conducted by the temple.- GujaratiGujarati languageGujarati is an Indo-Aryan language, and part of the greater Indo-European language family. It is derived from a language called Old Gujarati which is the ancestor language of the modern Gujarati and Rajasthani languages...
School: A Gujarati language school runs in the temple premises. The school boasts of 500 students and 60 volunteer teachers. - SSTW Academy: There are various sports activities, camps, religious activities and discussions run by this academy that was formed in 1997.
- YogaYogaYoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
Classes - TablaTablaThe tabla is a popular Indian percussion instrument used in Hindustani classical music and in popular and devotional music of the Indian subcontinent. The instrument consists of a pair of hand drums of contrasting sizes and timbres...
Classes - HinduismHinduismHinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
Classes - Bal Kendra Classes: Classes for young children
- VachanamrutVachanamrutThe Vachanamrut of Swaminarayan is a foundational scripture of the Swaminarayan faith. It is considered one of the most sacred scriptures by Swaminarayan followers...
Classes: This class teaches the Vachanamrut, an important scripture in the Swaminarayan Sampraday - Festival Alerts: The temple provides emailEmailElectronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...
and SMSSMSSMS is a form of text messaging communication on phones and mobile phones. The terms SMS or sms may also refer to:- Computer hardware :...
alerts for upcoming festivals
Apart from the above, the temple has also been active in providing assistance during natural disasters. For example, the temple organised a charity walk to help provide aid for the 2004 tsunami
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on Sunday, December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake itself is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake...
that struck South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
. A few years before that, in 2001 the temple took up the responsibility for coordinating relief work for the Gujarat earthquake from London. The temple sent 60 tons of clothing and blankets to affected areas.