Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, London (Willesden) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Shree Swaminarayan Mandir, London (Willesden) |
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The first Swaminarayan temple in London
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| Geography | |
| Coordinates | 51°32′45.4″N 0°12′55″W / 51.545944°N 0.21528°W |
| Country | England |
| Location | London |
The Shree Swaminarayan Temple Willesden is a special Swaminarayan Mandir (which is a Hindu temple) located in Willesden, a part of London. It was the very first Swaminarayan temple to open in this big city. Today, the Swaminarayan Sampraday (a branch of Hinduism) has six such temples across London.
History of the Temple
In 1975, a church building that was no longer being used was bought in Willesden Lane. It was then fixed up and changed to become a temple.
On October 11, 1975, which was a special day called Sharad Purnima, important statues called murtis were placed inside. These murtis were of Swaminarayan, NarNarayan Dev, Radha Krishna Dev, Hanuman, and Ganesh. This was a very important moment for the temple.
Building a New Temple
Over time, more and more people started coming to the temple. The old church building became too small for everyone. Also, new activities were started, like Gujarati language classes, a library, and even a picture framing service. There were also many activities for young people.
To solve the space problem, another building next door was bought. But even with two buildings, there still wasn't enough room for all the activities and people.
So, in 1986, a plan was made to knock down both buildings. In their place, a brand new, three-story temple complex would be built. This new building would mix traditional Hindu temple designs with British styles.
The first stone for the new building was laid on October 12, 1986. The new, bigger temple was officially opened on July 29, 1988.
Temple Activities
The temple is a busy place with many activities for people of all ages.
- Gujarati School: There is a school at the temple where children can learn the Gujarati language. About 500 students attend, taught by 60 volunteer teachers.
- SSTW Academy: This academy was started in 1997. It organizes different sports activities, camps, religious events, and discussions for young people.
- Yoga Classes: People can join classes to learn Yoga, which helps with mind and body wellness.
- Tabla Classes: You can learn to play the Tabla, a type of drum used in Indian music.
- Hinduism Classes: These classes teach about the beliefs and practices of Hinduism.
- Bal Kendra Classes: These are special classes for very young children.
- Vachanamrut Classes: These classes teach about the Vachanamrut, which is a very important holy book in the Swaminarayan faith.
- Festival Alerts: The temple helps people remember important festivals. They send out alerts by email and SMS (text messages).
Besides these regular activities, the temple also helps people during natural disasters. For example, after the big tsunami in 2004, the temple organized a charity walk. The money raised helped people affected by the disaster in South Asia.
A few years before that, in 2001, the temple helped coordinate relief work from London for the Gujarat earthquake. The temple sent 60 tons of clothes and blankets to the areas that were hit by the earthquake.
