Mahashivaratri – the auspicious Hindu festival in reverence of Lord Shiva – was celebrated with piety at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, London on Thursday 27 February 2014. 

Sadhus at the Mandir began the festivities by performing the ritual bathing of the Shivalinga in the morning. 

Devotees and visitors throughout the day paid their respects to an ice Shivalinga displayed in the Haveli entrance. The Shivalinga, a representation of the popular Hindu deity symbolising his energy and potentiality, provided a reminder of the sacred pilgrimage town of Amarnath in India where a natural ice Shivalinga exists. 

As part of the celebrations at the Mandir, devotees and visitors had the opportunity to offer Shiva-puja with bilva-patra (bael leaves) and perform abhishek (ceremonial bathing) of the Shivalinga with milk throughout the day. 

A colourful annakut (religious offering of food for thanksgiving) was artistically arranged, in which a variety of ‘falahar’ items were offered at the shrines of Bhagwan Swaminarayan and Shiva-Parvati.

BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir hosted a screening and advice session for Type 2 diabetes on Sunday 23 February 2014 organised by BAPS Charities in conjunction with the Royal Free Hospital and Wellington Hospital. 

Eleven volunteers from BAPS Charities teamed up with five volunteers from the two hospitals and assessed 24 people with pre-existing diabetes conditions. 

A number of assessments were carried out during the day, including an analysis of the medicines prescribed to patients. Where necessary, recommendations were made to their respective GPs. 

Cholesterol, sugar and kidney functions were also examined through blood tests and measurements were taken of important parameters such as weight and body fat. Doctors were available to explain results and offer advice on any possible lifestyle changes. 

An added feature to the screening programme was an activity monitor issued to measure daily exercise and physical activity. 

Members from Diabetes UK were also on hand to distribute literature and raise awareness of the condition. A number of attendees were interviewed to gather their thoughts on the screening programme and were asked to return after six months to chart the progress made from the advice gathered at the event. 

BAPS Charities has organised a number of diabetes awareness and screening sessions in the past, including a Diabetes Care Programme in 2012 and a National Diabetes Week Seminar in 2013. This year, BAPS Charities is partnering with Diabetes UK for their Annual Challenge. 

This event provided a further opportunity to work with specialist charities in detecting and tackling the disease. 

For more information about Diabetes UK, please click here. 

Disclaimer: BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

For the past 13 years, BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha’s women in the UK have hosted conferences and seminars to celebrate the United Nations International Women’s Day (IWD) throughout the country, leaving a lasting positive impact on the many thousands who have attended.

In a world often overshadowed by uncertainties, this year we explore the transformative impact of practising positivity, extending kindness, and taking proactive steps to uplift our communities. This celebration is not just an event; it is a tribute to the exceptional women of the past and present who have dedicated themselves to improving our community.

Maha Shivaratri is special day in the Hindu calendar for offering reverence to Lord Shiva. Devotees flock to bathe the shivaling – a representation of the popular Hindu deity symbolising his energy and potentiality – with panchamrut (a holy mixture of milk, yoghurt, honey, sugar and ghee) and to offer bilva-patra (bael leaves). It is also a day of fasting and chanting, while an annakut (offering of food) will be made to the deities in the shrine.

BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, London welcomed BAPS Charities and the British Heart Foundation to support the ‘Ramp Up The Red’ campaign on Saturday 8 February 2014.

Coronary heart disease is the UK’s single biggest killer, with 2.3 million people currently living with the condition in the UK. The British Heart Foundation (BHF) is fighting for everybody who suffers with a heart condition – from babies born with life-threatening heart problems, to the many mums, dads and grandparents who survive a heart attack and endure the daily struggles of heart failure. 

The BHF asked the great British public to ‘Ramp up the Red’ and ‘join the fight for every heartbeat’. Visitors to the evening assembly at the Mandir pledged their support by wearing red-coloured clothing. 

Volunteers from BAPS Charities joined BHF volunteers – led by Shailesh Malde, a Heartstart trainer from The Swaminarayan School – in selling badges to raise funds for the cause as well as in raising awareness about heart disease and Heartstart training. 

The day proved a great success with approximately 500 individuals personally educated about heart disease, and many hundreds more provided with educational material in English and Gujarati. The visiting BHF representative Venkat Chennubotla also enjoyed the evening and expressed his gratitude for promoting the Healthy Hearts initiative. 

The British Heart Foundation is the biggest funder of charitable heart research in the UK, which has already helped to transform many lives. BAPS Charities have shared a long-standing partnership with the BHF, having previously partnered with the Charity to raise funds during the Great British Bag-Athon campaign as well as the BAPS Charities Annual Challenge in 2007 and a number of awareness-raising and training sessions, including the provision of emergency life support. 

To learn more about the British Heart Foundation’s ‘Ramp Up The Red’ campaign, please click here. 

Disclaimer: BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

The Swaminarayan School has topped the national performance table of independent schools for GCSEs. 

The table using data from the Department of Education is based on the average points score per pupil, which, for GCSE results at the School, was an impressive 658.5. Each grade carries points ranging from 58 for an A* to 16 for a G. The score is equivalent to 11 A* passes per pupil, with 100% of students recording at least 5 A*-C grades.

The School also performed strongly in the Government’s new English Baccalaureate – which marks out pupils who gain A* to C grades in English, Mathematics, two sciences, a foreign language, and either History or Geography.

This recognition follows the record GCSE & A-Level results at the School in September 2013.

Head of the Senior School, Mr Nilesh Manani, spoke of his “delight and pride” on behalf of the School for the achievement. “I know the pupils, teachers and parents have worked extremely hard to achieve this standard and I would like to thank everyone for this outstanding result.”

The excellent academic results are complimented with a variety of other awards that have been conferred upon the School. Most recently, the School was presented with the NACE Challenge Award for “helping pupils achieve their best”. The Prep School has also previously been accredited with an award from the Cognitive Education Centre for being a “Thinking School”, and itself also being ranked among the top in the country.

As modern technology increases human connectivity and decreases distances between peoples and nations, the need for peace for individuals and societies becomes more pronounced. The quest for peace within and without is fundamental to various Hindu teachings, and the elucidation of the role of peace within Hinduism can positively contribute to not just academic scholarship but to humanity at large.

To this end, the All-India Philosophy Association (Akhil Bhartiya Darshan Parishad) is organising an international academic conference in collaboration with BAPS Swaminarayan Research Institute and the Indo-Hellenic Society for Culture and Development, Greece to be held at the Mandir in June.

BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, London hosted a tuberculosis (TB) screening session by BAPS Charities in collaboration with Public Health England on Saturday 19 January 2014.

Public Health England is an executive agency of the Department of Health. The PREDICT Study, which was the basis of the screening programme, is designed to try and find a way to predict which 10% of the patients with latent TB will contract the active disease.

The study planned to recruit 10,000 people at high risk of latent infection – 5,000 new entrants from high incidence countries, where TB is common, and 5,000 contacts of active TB cases. These individuals will be followed for two years to determine whether they develop the disease, and to assess their quality of life over time.

BAPS Charities has been involved in the study since July 2013 and has recruited 284 people aged between 19 and 86 years. 62 people have been identified as having the latent infection and are aged 35 years or more, where treatment is not indicated under national guidelines (NICE), but they have been informed of signs and symptoms to be aware of for active TB.

Positive results were found for six people under the age of 35 years, all of whom have been referred to hospital for treatment.                  

This initiative follows similar drives held at the Mandir by BAPS Charities including a TB awareness lecture held in 2009.

To find out more about the Predict Study, please visit predictstudy.org.uk.   

To learn more about the work of Public Health England, please click here.

Disclaimer: BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.