BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, London joined millions of people across the globe to raise awareness about climate change by observing Earth Hour – the world’s largest environmental event – at 8:30pm on Saturday 28 March 2015.

Starting in Samoa, Earth Hour made its way through a record 172 countries and territories passing all seven continents, including Antarctica and also the International Space Station, before concluding in Tahiti.

More than 1,400 landmarks around the world switched off non-essential lights in participation of the global event. In the UK, some of the notable buildings included Buckingham Palace, the Gherkin, the London Eye, Trafalgar Square, and St Paul’s Cathedral.

Taking “action beyond the hour” is a commitment that BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha continues to make for the environment. Yogen Shah, a volunteer at the Mandir, explained: “Bhagwan Swaminarayan enlightened his devotees of the fundamental Hindu concept about caring for nature. This is furthered today by our spiritual leader Pramukh Swami Maharaj in the many activities he inspires.”

Projects including a recycling event for Climate Week, celebrating World Environment Day, being presented with an ‘Outstanding Achievement Award’ as part of the Brent in Bloom garden competition, cleaning the Brent Feeder Canal and, most recently, cleaning up a local park demonstrate BAPS’s continued commitment to raise awareness about and make a positive impact upon the environment.

The Mandir itself was constructed and operates with a number of key environmental-friendly features. Please click here to learn more.

About Earth Hour 

• Earth Hour started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia when 2.2 million homes and businesses turned their lights off for one hour to make their stand against climate change
• In 2008, the message had grown into a global sustainability movement, with 50 million people switching off their lights.
• In March 2009, hundreds of millions of people took part in the third Earth Hour where over 4,000 cities in 88 countries officially switched off to pledge their support for the planet.
• In 2010, the global call to action had reached over 125 countries, making Earth Hour 2010 the world’s largest global climate change initiative. This increased further to 135 countries in 2011 and more than 6,950 cities in 2012.
• In 2014, the number of countries joining the event extended to 158.
• A record participation once again in 2015 included 172 countries and territories, incorporating over 1,400 landmarks and close to 40 UNESCO World Heritage sites.
• Earth Hour is organised by the World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF), one of the world’s largest and most respected independent conservation organisations. Its mission is to stop the degradation of the Earth’s natural environment and build a future where people live in harmony with nature. 

To learn more about Earth Hour and the WWF, please follow the respective links.

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