Neasden Temple
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| BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir | |||
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| Name: | BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir | ||
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| Creator: | Pramukh Swami Maharaj / BAPS | ||
| Primary deity: | Bhagwan Swaminarayan | ||
| Architecture: | North Indian | ||
| Location: | London Borough of Brent in north-west London | ||
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The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir is a Hindu temple in Neasden, in the London Borough of Brent in north-west London. It was Europe's first traditional Hindu temple, as distinct from converted secular buildings, and according to the Guinness Book of World Records, it is believed to be the largest outside India. Angkor Wat in Cambodia is larger but is no longer used as a Hindu temple, but the Balaji Temple in Tividale, West Midlands, which is also larger, may now be the largest outside India.
The Neasden Temple complex consists of:
- A traditional Hindu temple (Mandir), constructed mainly from hand carved Italian Carrara marble and Bulgarian limestone. The temple is the focul point of the complex.
- A permanent exhibition entitled 'Understanding Hinduism'
- A cultural centre, known as the Haveli, designed in the traditional Gujarati style housing an assembly hall, gymnasium, bookshop, and offices.
- A small café and grocery shop
[edit] The Mandir
The Mandir is the focal point of the complex. Designed according to the Stapatya-Shastra, a Vedic text that develops Hindu architecture to metaphorically represent the different attributes of God, it is constructed almost entirely from Indian marble, Italian marble and [Bulgaria]]n limestone. The stone was shipped to India where it was hand-carved by over 1,500 craftsmen. Each individually numbered piece was then shipped back to London and the building was assembled like a giant three-dimensional jigsaw. The Mandir facility contains no iron or steel, a unique feature for a modern building in the UK. A feature the temple is noted for is its profusely carved cantilevered dome, believed to be the only one in Britain that does not use steel or lead. The Mandir was inaugurated on 20 August 1995 by Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the spiritual leader of BAPS - the organisation behind the temple.
The Mandir serves as the centre of worship. Directly beneath each of the seven pinnacles seen from the outside is a shrine. Each of these seven shrines houses murtis (images) within golden altars. Each murti is treated like the incarnation of Godhead and therefore each deity is bathed, clothed, fed, and attended to each day by the sadhus (monks) who live in the temple[1].
Beneath the Mandir, is the permanent exhibition 'Understanding Hinduism'. Spread over 3000 square feet, the exhibition deals with the origin, beliefs, glory and contribution of Hindu seers and scholars in the fields of mathematics, astronomy, medicine, education, and religion. The messages and information are presented through visual effects, paintings, tableaux, traditional craftwork, and miniature 3-D dioramas.
[edit] The Haveli
Adjoining the Mandir is BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Haveli, a cultural complex. It has been designed according to traditional Indian Haveli architecture - an architectural style fashioned from wood, involving intricate carving. The building was designed to evoke feelings of being in Gujarat, India, where such architecture is commonplace. It took over 150 craftsmen from all over India 3 years to carve 17,000 square feet of wood. Behind the traditional wooden facade, the cultural centre houses a vast pillarless prayer hall with space for 4000 people, gymnasium, marriage hall, medical centre, dining facilities, bookstall, conference facilities, and offices.
[edit] History of the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir
- June 1970: The first BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir opened in a former church in Islington, North London.
- 1982: Having outgrown the temple, the congregation sold the Islington temple and moved to a small ex-warehouse in Neasden.
- 1990: The congregation was again in search of a building that could cope with the growing congregation, and plans for the present temple were made then.
- 1995: They moved to their present temple, built on the site of a disused truck warehouse opposite the old temple. The old temple building was kept and converted into Sāyā (साया), an Indian grocery shop and vegetarian restaurant.
[edit] Akshar IT Centre
Adjacent to Saya is the Akshar IT Centre, an adult learning centre which is open to the general public and provides IT courses.
[edit] The Swaminarayan School
On the opposite side of the Mandir is The Swaminarayan School, Europe's first independent Hindu school. Opened in 1991 by Pramukh Swami Maharaj, it follows the National Curriculum whilst promoting aspects of Hindu culture such as dance, music, and language.
[edit] Daily ritual
In the morning before sunrise, the murtis that are adorned in their nightwear are woken up by the sadhus and the shrine doors are opened for the Mangla arti, which is the first of five 'artis' prayers during that day. Arti is a ritual wherein a specific prayer is recited to a poetic format with music while the sadhus wave a lighted lamp in front of the murti to give devotees better darshan [view] of God's image. The sadhus recite a few shlokas [paragraphs], serve the deities, offer them food and bathe them, and close the shrine doors.
The shrines are opened again for the second arti (Shangar Arti). The shrines are then left open from 9am to around 11am when the shrines are closed and offered thaal [food for lunch].
At 11.45am the shrines are opened for the Rajbhog midday arti and the reciting of the thaal [offering hymn] and an offering of paan [triangular folded leaves containing a mixture of seeds] is made to God. The shrines are closed after this so the murtis can have an afternoon rest.
The shrines re-open at around 4pm until 6pm for darshan and are then closed again for an hour so they can be offered their final meal by the sadhus [saints].
The sandhya [sunset] arti is performed. After this, a selection of prayers are recited by the devotees including dhun (a repetitive chant where the names of God and their praise are sung), and the name of God is repeated for a few minutes. The shrines are then closed and the deities are prepared for the night and adorned in their evening attire by the sadhus.
The shrines are opened a final time for the shayan arti, with the lights dimmed and lower music, the devotees recite a few hymns, gently sending the deities to sleep through devotional hymns, and the shrines are then closed for the night.
[edit] Other BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandirs
Since the Neasden Temple was opened, other Mandirs and Haveli's have opened across the world:
- BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Nairobi - 1999
- BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Toronto* - 2004
- BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Houston - 2004
- BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Chicago - 2004
In 2007, BAPS will open a Mandir in Toronto, Canada and a Mandir and Haveli in Atlanta, USA. A Haveli will also open in Los Angeles, USA with plans for a Mandir in the future.
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[edit] See also
[edit] External links
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