THOUGH he began his career as a certified accountant with the erstwhile Coopers & Lybrand (now part of PwC), Jitu Patel's passion for Hindu religion and its motto of seva – community service – has transformed him into one of the UK's most powerful cultural bridges.
With his long association with the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), Patel has played a major role in turning the London's famous Neasden Temple into an influential seat of Hinduism in the UK.
What was once simply a place of worship has evolved into a powerful institution that commands attention at the highest levels of British society. In 2023, Patel stood among senior faith leaders at King Charles III's Coronation, representing the Hindu faith in Westminster Abbey.
During the 2024 general election, then prime minister Rishi Sunak and current incumbent Keir Starmer both made pilgrimages to London's Swaminarayan temples. Each began with the same greeting: ‘Jai Swaminarayan’.
Patel has built a strong rapport with the leading politicians and influential figures in the British Asian community.
"Our strong ties and positive engagement with the high commission of India serve as a platform to contribute to shared British and Indian values," Patel, who has been serving as chair of BAPS UK & Europe, remarked after hosting Indian defence minister Rajnath Singh at Neasden Temple in January 2024.
During the pandemic, BAPS institutions established vaccination centres, blood banks, and food distribution for the homeless. This practical application of seva principles caught the attention of then home secretary Priti Patel, who visited the Neasden Temple's vaccination centre in February 2021.
In 2006, he received then prime minister Tony Blair and his wife, Cherie at the gates of the temple. Seven years later, he welcomed David Cameron and his wife Samantha for the Hindu New Year celebrations.
Born in Kenya and raised in Zambia before arriving in London in 1978, Patel has balanced spiritual leadership with remarkable business acumen. After opening his first Crispins food and wine shop in 1979, he partnered with Mahesh Patel to expand the Europa Foods chain to 50 outlets before selling to Tesco for £54 million in 2004.
His golden touch continued when he rescued struggling Burts Snacks, transforming it into Britain's foremost premium crisps brand before its profitable sale to Europe Snacks in 2023.
But it's his ability to transform temples into centres of both spiritual and social power that truly distinguishes Patel.
