Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

More than 75,000 enjoy 'Festival of Inspiration’ at Neasden Temple

The event celebrated Hindu values and Indian culture to mark the centennial birth anniversary of His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj.

More than 75,000 enjoy 'Festival of Inspiration’ at Neasden Temple

More than 75,000 members of the local community as well as visitors from across London in particular and the UK in general experienced the ‘Festival of Inspiration’ at Neasden Temple – from July 22 to 31.

The event celebrated the very best of Hindu values and Indian culture across a seven-acre site to mark the centennial birth anniversary of His Holiness (HH) Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the creator of the temple and one of the world’s great spiritual leaders.


Festival of Inspiration at Neasden Temple Visitors enjoy the Festival of Inspiration at Neasden Temple, London. (Picture: BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha)

The festival was inspired by HH Mahant Swami Maharaj, the spiritual successor of Pramukh Swami Maharaj, and delivered by more than 3,000 volunteers. It was dedicated to helping individuals, families and the community enjoy and grow together by learning values that HH Pramukh Swami Maharaj had fostered throughout his life – harmony, respect, compassion and hard work.

Festival of Inspiration A yoga session underway on the occasion of the Festival of Inspiration at Neasden Temple, London. (Picture: BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha)

Festival of Inspiration A speaker explains the ancient Hindu religious text of Upanishad at the Festival of Inspiration at Neasden Temple, London. (Picture: BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha)

The values were vividly conveyed at the Island of Heroes, a children’s adventureland that featured musical productions, a shadow play, a 4D immersive experience, a UV magical jungle, an escape room, an obstacle course, a giant colouring cave, interactive games, and much more.

Festival of Inspiration A woman plays a violin at the Festival of Inspiration at Neasden Temple, London. (Picture: BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha)

The young cast and crew had planned, prepared and rehearsed for several months, presenting over 1,200 shows in total during the 10 days of the festival.

Visitors also enjoyed a vibrant blend of live music and dance from the outdoor stage where some of the most acclaimed and sought-after artists of Indian music in the UK performed more than 120 acts over the duration of the festival.

Most enjoyed the performances while savouring the wide selection of delicious and freshly cooked vegetarian cuisine on offer at the ‘Flavours of India’ food court.

Festival of Inspiration Children and their guardians take part in an activity at the Festival of Inspiration at Neasden Temple, London. (Picture: BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha)

Other highlights of the festival included a community health hub where leading British charities and experts delivered screenings, fitness sessions, well-being workshops and cooking demonstrations, multimedia screenings that featured video shows and interactive presentations bringing to life the profound impact of Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s life and work, while thousands participated in the daily maha-arti (Hindu light ceremony) in front of his 27-foot statue in the temple courtyard.

Festival of Inspiration at Neasden Temple Visitors witness an exhibition at the Festival of Inspiration at Neasden Temple, London. (Picture: BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha)

The festival inspired uplifting impressions on families as well as visitors from all walks of society.

Home secretary Priti Patel praised the ceremony to say, “This is just incredible! It is inspiring. It is a ‘Festival of Inspiration’, but the real inspiration lies with the children and the volunteers who made all of this happen.”

Angela Rayner MP, Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, said, “A real joy to take in the sights and sounds of the ‘Festival of Inspiration’ at Neasden Temple. Every child in the country needs to listen to that [‘Mountain of Shravan’ production at the ‘Island of Heroes’]. I don’t think I have ever seen a show or production like that.”

Manoj Patel, a leading volunteer at the festival, said, “We are humbled by the positive feedback and experiences of the visitors. This was all made possible through a dedicated team of volunteers who have worked tirelessly to share the universal values of Pramukh Swami Maharaj to help make our world a better place.”

More For You

King Charles

King Charles, wearing a black armband to pay respects to the victims of Air India plane crash, attends the Trooping the Colour parade on his official birthday in London. (Photo: Reuters)

Air India crash: Victims remembered during King Charles's birthday parade

A MINUTE's silence for the victims of the Air India plane crash was observed on Saturday during the Trooping the Colour parade in London marking King Charles's official birthday. Some members of the royal family wore black armbands during the ceremony.

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said King Charles, 76, had requested changes to the parade “as a mark of respect for the lives lost, the families in mourning and all the communities affected by this awful tragedy”.

Keep ReadingShow less
Rochdale grooming case

They were all remanded in custody, except Bashir, who absconded before the trial began. (Photo: Greater Manchester Police)

Seven men convicted of raping 13-year-old girls in Rochdale grooming case

SEVEN men were convicted on Friday in the UK’s latest grooming trial, after a jury heard that two girl victims were forced to have sex “with multiple men on the same day, in filthy flats and on rancid mattresses”.

Jurors at the court in Manchester, northwest England, deliberated for three weeks before finding the seven men, all of whom are of South Asian descent, guilty of rape.

Keep ReadingShow less
karan-thakar

Karun Thakar is a leading textile collector with a lifelong focus on Asian and African textiles

Karun Collection

Karun Thakar Fund to support textile research with scholarships and grants

THE KARUN THAKAR FUND, established by textile collector Karun Thakar in collaboration with the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), supports the study of Asian and African textiles and dress through scholarships and project grants.

The fund offers one-time Scholarship Awards of up to £10,000 for university students worldwide focusing on any aspect of Asian or African textiles and dress. Undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate students from any accredited university are eligible, provided their research or practice is clearly linked to these areas. The next round of Scholarship Award applications opens on 1 May 2025 and closes at 23:59 on July 15, 2025.

Keep ReadingShow less
Air India

A view shows the wreckage of the tail section of an Air India aircraft, bound for London's Gatwick Airport, which crashed during take-off from airport in Ahmedabad. (Photo: Reuters)

Air India crash: Probe focuses on engine and flaps; safety checks ordered for 787 fleet

THE INVESTIGATION into the Air India crash that killed more than 240 people is focusing on the aircraft's engine, flaps, and landing gear.

The Indian aviation regulator has ordered safety checks on the airline’s entire Boeing 787 fleet, reported Reuters.

Keep ReadingShow less