Faith in drone appeal

by NADEEM BADSHAH

DRONES are being used to film places of worship for YouTube videos with the aim of attracting young people to reconnect with their faith, community leaders said.

Mosques and gurdwaras have given permission to filmmakers to record footage, capturing

their design, and interiors and exteriors of the places of worship.

The move is aimed at nudging people who view the videos on websites such as YouTube to visit the places of worship.

A slickly produced video of Gravesend Gurdwara in Kent – showing its roof, chandelier and entrance – using an unmanned plane, has been viewed more than 6,000 times.

A similar video using a cinematic drone shows the £4 million Guru Nanak Gurdwara in Bedford. The trustees of the Ramgarhia Board Leicester also released drone footage of the construction project of its gurdwara.

Gurjeet Singh, press secretary for the Sikh Federation (UK), told Eastern Eye: “Drone footage is increasingly used for nagar kirtan processions, of impressive gurdwara buildings where anand karaj ceremonies are performed and other events, such as gatka displays and tournaments.

“The use of drones provides interesting imagery. However, it is the organisation of nagar kirtans and gatka displays where more and more young Sikhs are taking part and fantastic facilities at gurdwaras that is keeping Sikhs connected to their faith.”

It is estimated that there are around 1,500 mosques in Britain. Among those that have been filmed using the aerial cameras is London Central Mosque in west London.

The Shah Jahan mosque in Woking, Surrey, the UK’s first Islamic place of worship built in 1889, granted permission for a drone video that was posted on YouTube to showcase its architecture.

Fiyaz Mughal, founder of the Faith Matters charity, told Eastern Eye: “Innovative ways to get young people to use faith institutions or to learn about their history or even to enjoy the beauty of such buildings are warmly welcomed.

“The use of drones, within the law and within the bounds of the faith institution, to film the beauty of them, is to be welcomed.

“The key thing, though, is that operators need training and must remain within the law. That ensures we can all enjoy the history and beauty of such buildings.”

According to Civil Aviation Authority’s guidance on using drones, pilots must not fly within 50 metres of people, vehicles, buildings or vessels, and must obtain permission before starting filming. It must not be flown within 150 metres of a congested area or any large group of people such as a concert or sporting event or risk being prosecuted. Drones must also weigh under 20kg and be flown away from aircraft, helicopters, airports and airfields.

Britain’s largest insurer of church buildings, Ecclesiastical, has started deploying the aircraft to perform aerial surveys to assess the extent of damage to buildings. The group has used the technology on two Church of England buildings and a school, and will extend its trial to other sites.

Arjun Shakti, spokesman for the Hindu Human Rights Group, believes more temples should adopt measures like online drone videos.

He said: “While these initiatives are laudable and show ingenuity in helping younger people of different backgrounds connect to their respective spiritual roots, there has been precious little initiative in this regard from most Hindu community leaders and temples in Britain.

“While the Hare Krishnas and various gurus do attract many adherents by virtue of their incredible artwork, music, dance festivals, and the Swaminarayan temple in Neasden [London] is an architectural marvel, one struggles to cite any other examples of creative efforts to attract younger Hindus.”

•  See youtube.com/watch?v=FjVhGp_Yu1o; youtube.com/watch?v=YCIV_IYhf3I; and youtube.com/watch?v=aSU8gkLd8SM for more.