INDIA's Lok Sabha (lower house of parliament) speaker Om Birla visited the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Neasden, London, on 11 January during his official visit to the UK.
The visit followed an invitation from Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the UK House of Commons.
Birla was welcomed by the swamis of the Mandir and toured the temple, observing its spiritual and cultural traditions. Discussions included BAPS’s activities in India, and Europe, and the construction of a new temple in Paris.
Birla had previously led a delegation to the BAPS Hindu Mandir site in Abu Dhabi in 2022 and met Mahant Swami Maharaj in New Delhi later that year.
Sanjay Kara, a trustee for BAPS in the UK, expressed gratitude for the visit, noting its importance in strengthening ties between the UK and India.
Harmanpreet Singh of India celebrates scoring the team's fifth goal from a penalty corner during the Hockey Men's Gold Medal match between India and Malaysia on day fourteen of the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya at Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium on October 03, 2026 in Kakamigahara, Gifu, Japan. (Photo by Toru Hanai/Getty Images) (Photo by Toru Hanai/Getty Images)
