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NEWS FEATURES
SPELL
BAPS Children chanting Vedic prayers for the peace of the departed souls Image supplied by BAPS
THE PEOPLE'S TEMPLE
The Archbishop outside Shri Swaminarayan Mandir. Image supplied by BAPS
BAPS TSUNAMI RELIEF WORK
and its atmosphere of welcoming serenity.
Aidan Rankin reports on the growing social role of the SWAMINARAYAN TEMPLE in Neasden, UK
BAPS - the Swaminarayan Hindu Mission -values social engagement and so the Mandir is playing an important role in charitable campaigning, interfaith work and promoting understanding of Hindu beliefs and values. These include nonviolence, respect for the environment and social justice. The issues come together in the South East Asian tsunami and its aftermath, for the Boxing Day tragedy reminds us of the power of nature. It also makes the need for holistic approaches to economic planning more urgent along with a just distribution of wealth and resources.
easden's Shri Swaminarayan Mandir is the largest Hindu temple outside India. Over the past seven years it
has become a familiar part of the North London skyline, visible to commuters on the crowded Orbital Road and to shoppers at IKEA, that great secular shrine to consumerism. The Mandir, in its vastness and gentle but imposing beauty, symbolises the transformation of a bland suburb once mocked by comedians into a vibrant multicultural community. Most importantly perhaps, it demonstrates the growing role of Hinduism as a spiritual force in Britain and the world.
Rt. Hon. Charles Kennedy MP presenting a cheque of £53,000 from the BAPS Tsunami Appeal to the representative of the Indonesian Embassy. Image supplied by BAPS
True to its mission, the Mandir was in the forefront of British relief efforts and solidarity with the affected countries. On 2 January 2005, a service of special prayers was held with a congregation of three thousand. Representatives came from the embassies and High Commissions of Bangladesh, Burma, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Maldives, Sri Lanka and Thailand. The High Commissioner for India, HE Mr. Kamlesh Sharma paid tribute to the Swaminarayan Hindu Mission for its BAPS Tsunami Earthquake Appeal Fund, launched on 27 December 2004. "I firmly believe that what we do for ourselves in
The Mandir is the first traditional Hindu temple in Europe and is constructed according to the Shilpasutras, an ancient Hindu treatise on architecture. No steel was used and Indian-based craftsmen worked with 2000 tonnes of Italian marble and 2820 tonnes of Bulgarian limestone. Although the Mandir appears vast and intricate from the outside, those who enter are struck by its sense of the human scale
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