Visitor Opinions – Schools (2014)

2019 – 2018 – 2017 – 2016 – 2015 – 2013 – 2012 – 2011 – 2010 – 2009 – 2008 – 2007 – 2006 – 2005

Thank you, once again, for the wonderfully warm welcome that we received during our visit. The pupils found it a thoroughly enjoyable and interesting experience which helped to develop their understanding of the importance and the role that the Mandir plays in the Hindu faith. We look forward to (hopefully!) visiting again next year!

Laura Cartwright
Porthcrawl Comprehensive School
Porthcrawl, Wales
17 December 2014

On behalf of Ark Swift Primary, can I convey our gratitude for allowing us to visit the remarkable Swaminarayan temple in Neasden. The children had a wonderful time and expressed their enjoyment. The staff were also very impressed with the way in which the temple is kept so immaculate, and also with the warm and welcoming way in which we were shown around. I will definitely be recommending the Mandir as a place to visit to my colleagues. We look forward to being back soon.  

Ramlah Shah
ARK Swift Primary Academy
London
10 December 2014

Thank you. The students were very appreciative of the visit, and found it very worthwhile. It is always an excellent part of our London trip.  

Mark Plater
Lecturer in Education Studies & Theology
Coordinator for PGCE in Secondary Religious Education
Bishop Grosseteste University
Lincoln
9 December 2014

I just wanted to thank you once again for a wonderful visit on Saturday to your mandir with our school group from Longhill. The video, exhibition and tour were very interesting and informative and we were all so impressed with the beauty of the building and your warm welcome. I’m sure it is an experience the students won’t forget soon!  

Julia Wingfield
Head of Humanities
Longhill High School
Brighton
18 November 2014

Thank you so much for what was I think our best ever visit to the Mandir. The boys will be writing proper thank you letters as usual but I wanted to say how much we appreciated our visit. We were very grateful that we received so much individual attention…. The boys had a wonderful time and the staff also really enjoyed themselves too.

Arabella Norton
Head of RS
The Beacon School
Chesham Bois, Buckinghamshire
13 November 2014

Our group had a wonderful visit, thank you. Everyone we interacted with was helpful and friendly and my students really enjoyed being able to watch some of the ceremonial activities as well as examine the amazing building and decoration.

Dr Mehreen Chida-Razvi
Department of the History of Art & Archaeology
School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London
22 October 2014

Neasden Temple was amazing and the detail and effort that was put into building the Temple was outstanding. Thank you for letting us come and visit I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I have enjoyed the trip a lot especially the Temple, because of the carvings, rituals, beliefs and spiritual feel in the Temple.
I really enjoyed the RS trip because we went to a lot of different places. However, I particularly enjoyed the Hindu Temple as the ceremony was really nice and I really enjoyed learning how to practically do the relaxation thing the lady told us about “om”.
I really enjoyed the talk with the man at the end because we got to have a go at Meditation and yoga which I found fun. I also enjoyed visiting the beautiful Mandir and the gift shop.
The carvings in the Temple were incredible and the Murti showed a lot about what Hindus think God is like.
The Arti service was something I will never forget.
The decorations were breath-taking.
I found the Temple very peaceful.
I liked how friendly everyone was. They were really welcoming and warm.
Walking around the Temple was a great experience, the scale of the building is amazing.
The temple was so exquisite I could barely believe it was part of London.
I enjoyed the Neasden Temple because it was different to the place of worship I go to.

Students of Year 8
Wycombe High School
High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire
21 October 2014

It was a really lovely day especially as you were preparing for Diwali and so were we in class. The gentleman who led the talk was as engaging as always and I felt that the timing was good with no time spent waiting. A really great trip, even on the 6th visit. Thank you so much for welcoming our children again this year, we are most grateful.

Year 5 Teacher
Coteford Junior School
Eastcote, Middlesex
20 October 2014

Thank you for a great visit. The lady who looked after us was great with the students and it was really well organised. The trip is an annual feature of our curriculum. Please pass on our thanks to all of your staff and helpers – they were very accommodating.

Sue Tullet
The Misbourne
Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire
3 October 2014

Thank you ever so much for this great experience and your hospitality in your temple. Our students really enjoyed our stay and said it was one of their London highlights. 

Birte Lampe
Secondary School Hallé
Germany
2 October 2014

This has been my fifth year in a row that I have taken my Y5’s to your temple. I would like to thank for a very smooth and well organized visit. The booking form is easy to use, the worksheets are child friendly, the people at the Mandir are very warm and welcoming, the exhibition very affordable and the experience overall is unforgettable. Thank you very much. 

Sjoerd van den Bosch
Year 5 Teacher
Dwight School London
London
24 September 2014

Further to the visit of my students from Arcadia University to the Mandir on 10 July, please may I extend my sincere and warmest thanks to the Mandir authorities for your kind reception. My students very much enjoyed the visit and they were interested to learn more about Hinduism from the exhibition, and were moved by the beauty and spirit of the Mandir itself. I was most grateful that you kindly spoke to the students about the Hindu Faith and the story of how the Mandir came to be built. I find every visit to the Mandir an inspiration and a pleasure. From the written work and the feedback I receive from my students, visiting Neasden makes a deep and positive impression on them. 

Dan Wheatley
Arcadia University
Pennsylvania, USA
18 July 2014

Thank you for the great opportunity that you have provided for our class. We feel the trip was really beneficial to our understanding and grasp of Hinduism as a whole, particularly the Q&A time, which gave us clear insight into what it means to be a Hindu today. 

Year 12 RS Students
Weald of Kent Grammar School
Tonbridge, Kent
14 July 2014

When we arrived at the Mandir, we were all completely astonished and sheer shock covered our faces. We stood there in awe as we stared at the beautiful, ginormous Mandir that stood before us. The sheer size of the building overwhelmed us and we all were utterly mesmerized by this beautiful sight. Inside the building, we were welcomed by even more glorious decorative features of the building….

I can honestly speak on behalf of all us 11 students that we were all completely enlightened by this delightful experience…. I hope the New Year 7 will experience the same delight we had when they will go on this trip next year!

Year 7 Student (writing in the ‘Plashet Post’)
Plashet School
East Ham, London
14 July 2014

We had a great visit to the Mandir yesterday. Our guide who gave the talk was great. The ceremony in the Mandir itself was wonderful…. The exhibition was excellent as were the accompanying resources. I thought the staff were friendly and helpful at all times. 

We intend to make this trip an annual one for Year 7 RE and thank you so much for the great organisation and welcome. 

Sue Kember
Oaks Park High School
Ilford, London
2 July 2014

Thank you so much for our well organised and enjoyable visit to BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir on 16th June 2014. We always enjoy our visit and this year was no exception. We thought the question and answer session went particularly well this year as our speaker clearly communicated with our Year 3 pupils. We were impressed too by the new film you have produced. We look forward to our visit next year! 

Joanna Gay
Deputy Headmistress
The Study Preparatory School
Wimbledon, London
17 June 2014

I would just like to thank all of you at the Mandir for taking the time to make us feel so welcome. After an awful journey in due to traffic, the Mandir was indeed an oasis of peace and calm. It was my first trip to the building and you have every right to be proud of it. It is amongst the most beautiful buildings that I have seen. The guides who worked with us were brilliant and knew how to reach the boys pitching their talks to them at the right level. Thank you so much. 

Deborah Battersby
Head of Pre-Prep
Davenies School
Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire
13 June 2014

Thank you so much for your kindness and hospitality. Our children learned a great deal about Hinduism during their visit. The mandir is truly an amazing haven of peace and tranquility amidst much community activity and the warm welcome we received was much appreciated. The exhibition was most enlightening and it was really good for the children to watch the film about how the mandir was built and to learn how to meditate. This was our school’s ninth consecutive annual visit to the Swaminarayan mandir and we are looking forward to our return next year to make it double figures! 

Julian Clarke
Head of Religious Education
Ripon Grammar School
Ripon, North Yorkshire
29 May 2014

St Marylebone School had an excellent time at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir on Wednesday and Thursday of last week. The staff were exceedingly polite and the students found it very informative. We look forward to repeating this visit next year.

Ralph Walker
The St Marylebone School
London
27 May 2014

Just to say, thank you all so much for making our students feel so welcome. I know they all found the visit very informative and it will really help their understanding of Hinduism as they begin their teaching careers.

Dr Alasdair Richardson
Programme Leader, PGCE Secondary Religious Education
Faculty of Education, Health & Social Care
Winchester University
Winchester
21 May 2014

Thank you. We loved our visit and the children really learnt a lot. My helpers as well were very impressed with the experience. I have been 4 times and every time I still enjoy my visit. Thank you and your staff for a lovely informative day.

Karina Garrick
Deputy Head Teacher
William Read Primary School
Canvey Island, Essex
14 May 2014

Many thanks for giving us the opportunity to visit BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir during our trip to London. You made us feel very welcome and we enjoyed our visit very much. I am convinced that the insight into your beliefs and values has broadened our horizons. Thank you again for the unique experience you gave us.

Elke Wittenberg
Berufsbildende Schule Wirtschaft I
Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Germany
11 May 2014

The kids had a great time at the visit and were awed by the building. We loved the tour and would definitely bring groups back there. Our guide was very helpful and informative and really through her words brought to life the Hindu values and principles you live by. Our pupils were very impressed by her.

Laurie McGuinness
Graeme High School
Falkirk, Scotland
9 May 2014

I would just like to thank you and your team of volunteers for making our visit last week to Neasden Temple such an amazing and enriching experience. [We had] a wonderful, informative guide whose delivery of information was pitched appropriately for our year group. We all thoroughly enjoyed our visit and I look forward to returning next year.

Tasneem Outten
Durston House Preparatory School
Ealing, London
9 May 2014

I would like to thank everyone at the Mandir, for what was a wonderful experience. The speakers were inspirational and our children were truly engaged by the experience. We are already looking forward to returning next year.

David Gamble
Barnardiston Hall Preparatory School
Barnardiston, Suffolk
4 May 2014

On behalf of the children and staff at Windermere Primary School who visited BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, I would like to express our gratitude and thanks for such a remarkable and inspirational visit. We were looked after and made to feel welcome. The children learnt a huge amount about Hinduism as well as benefitting from the real experience of worship made possible through our being allowed to observe the Seva. The children thoroughly enjoyed their visit and the artwork they produced was both exciting and thought-provoking. The children have continued to comment on their visit explaining how much they reflected upon the experience.

Alison Baskerville
Windermere Primary School
St Albans, Hertfordshire
23 April 2014

I just wanted to say thank you very much following our hugely enjoyable and interesting visit to the Mandir this morning.  Your team made us feel extremely welcome and ensured our visit was fun, as well as informative. Inspired by their visit, our Year 6 children returned to school and created classroom displays of some of the images, symbols and quotations they had been struck by in the Mandir.

Claire Herrera
Osidge School
Year 6 Teacher
South Gate, London
22 April 2014

Thank you very much for organising what was, as always, a very enjoyable day, for both staff and pupils. Our pupils particularly enjoyed the midday ceremony as it was allowing them to experience some of that they had been studying in lessons. We look forward to seeing you again next year.

Rebecca Roadnight
Thornden School
Chandlers Ford, Hampshire
2 April 2014

Thank you so much for our visit to the Mandir today. Everyone was so helpful and so kind to us and our students and staff all had a wonderful experience. Please pass my thanks on to all the people involved in helping us. 

Rosie Hollands
RE Teacher
Lakeside School
Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire
24 March 2014

Many thanks for accommodating us in the trip. The students had a very rich experience and they loved every minute spent in the temple. 

Rabia Ahmed
Year 9 Teacher
Southfields Academy
Wandsworth, London
24 March 2014

The children of Knightsbridge School really enjoyed our visit to the Mandir! They LOVED the temple – with the murti, intricate carving and the prayer service. They have been speaking a lot about it since we returned. It really is a beautiful building. Hopefully see you there next year.

Will Stoker
Year 4 Teacher for English and Drama
Knightsbridge School
London
18 March 2014

Please let me take this opportunity to thank the staff at BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir for being so fantastically helpful last Friday. It is quite a big task to take a year group out on a trip, and it all went very smoothly, due to your tremendous organisation and ability to welcome groups so well. Please pass on my thanks to all at the Mandir who helped make this trip such a success.

Diane Saywack
Head of Religious Studies
Norwich School
Norwich, Norfolk
18 March 2014

Thank you very much for providing us with such a wonderful trip to your mandir and museum. The girls were amazed at your wonderful building and thrilled to be allowed to watch an aarti service. Your colourful worksheets and booklet were a pleasure to study and the girls have added them to their work on Hinduism. This was a exciting and memorable trip which we would like to repeat next year with our new year 6 girls. Many thanks to all involved particularly the gentleman who took our question and answer session which gave the girls a good idea about what it meant to be a Hindu.

Lindsay Young
Derwent Lodge School
Tonbridge, Kent
12 March 2014

We really enjoyed our visit to BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir last week. We were escorted around by one of your devotees who was extremely knowledgeable, courteous and respectful. All the students from the university engaged whole heartedly with the visit and each and every one of them expressed their delight at being able to visit your splendid temple. It was very well organised and the opportunity to ask questions was excellent. I hope to come again with another group of students and I am sure that the student teachers will bring their classes of children too.

Jane Noble
Professional Tutor and Lecturer in Primary Education
Faculty of Children and Learning
Institute of Education, University of London
11 March 2014

The Ursuline Prep visit to the Mandir in Neasden today was truly awe inspiring. The girls learnt a pot-pourri of information about the beliefs and stories making up the Hindu Religion. During prayers they practised the three Aums relating to Space; yourself; and the ground. The girls found the intricate and detailed marble work and carvings fascinating. This trip was knowledge bringing and eye opening. We would like to thank all those who helped make the girls’ day and the Mandir such a memorable experience.

Laurence Wells
Year 4 Teacher
Ursuline Preparatory School
Wimbledon, London
7 March 2014

We were met with kindness from start to finish and for our visit to coincide with a special festival made it even more special. It is a stunning building and all so interesting. The children were captivated throughout which will really develop their learning on the Hindu faith and the Swaminarayan tradition.

The exhibition is excellent as was the powerful ceremony and it was lovely to see the temple packed with worshippers. The question and answer session was also fun but informative. 

An excellent day out – full marks to you all and we shall certainly be booking a revisit next year with our year 6 pupils as it is so enhances the curriculum. Thank you once again for all your kindness.

Paul Morgan-Jones
Head of Middle School
Holmewood House Prep School
Tunbridge Wells, Kent
3 March 2014

The students and myself had a wonderful time at the Mandir, so I want to thank you for everything. We found it absolutely fascinating to discover the Hindu faith as it is something we are quite unfamiliar with here in Morocco. The staff was very friendly and the visit was beautiful. Most important of all, my students left the Mandir with a more open mind, and that is priceless. If I have a chance to organize a school trip to London next year, we will definitely visit you again.

Aldric Dussourt
English Teacher
Lycée Lyautey
Casablanca, Morocco
24 February 2014

 Thank you for making us so welcome on our visit to the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir. We really enjoyed the morning and the students found it very interesting and enlightening. Thank you for answering all their questions. I look forward to bringing a new group of students to see the mandir next year. 

Clare Welford
RS Teacher
Stockton Sixth Form College
Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham
23 February 2014

Many thanks indeed to all the team at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir for making our visit so successful and enjoyable. Many of our year 7 boys from Aylesbury Grammar School commented just how magnificent an experience they found it. Your team work very hard to ensure school trips run smoothly – we thank you very much. I look forward to visiting again next year with another group of year 7s. 

Helen Washer
Head of Philosophy of Religion
Aylesbury Grammar School
Aylesbury , Buckinghamshire
19 February 2014

I would like to say a massive thank you for allowing myself and 44 students to look around your beautiful Mandir. All the students were saying how much they enjoyed it and how they had never seen anything like this before. They enjoyed the exhibition and would fully recommend others use the worksheets for the exhibition as it allows students to find out the information rather than aimlessly walking around without learning. Again thank you for your warm hospitality and insight into your faith and mandir.

Catherine Frazer
RS Teacher
Kingsmead School
Enfield
11 February 2014

Thank you for an excellent day! Your organisation, as always, was excellent and made the day very smooth.

R J McStraw
Head of RS
The Ravensbourne School
Bromley
29 January 2014

Our visit on Monday was so so good. The children, my teaching assistant and I would like to say a big ‘thank you’ to all the adults at the Mandir who made the experience of visiting such a positive time.

Thank you for letting our small group of primary school pupils sit separately from the secondary pupils during Aarti. Thank you for allowing my group to stay in the room after Aarti, to draw and complete worksheets. Also, thank you to the gentleman who opened the door to the outside from there for the children to get a wonderful view. The man who first greeted us and answered the children’s questions was patient with my young children. Thank you very much for allowing our group to visit the exhibition.

The volunteer, whom I had met when I came with my family on the previsit on 30th December, was brilliant with my group in answering the last of the children’s questions. We liked his sense of humour! A special thank you to him.

Julia Blower
RE Coordinator
William Law Church of England Primary School
Peterborough
22 January 2014

Thank you very much for a wonderful trip. The children enjoyed it very much and learnt a lot. We were all amazed at the beauty and the peaceful aura of the Mandir and the children drew some lovely pictures.

I hope to bring my son to visit you in the near future and I will definitely come and visit with my class next year.

Thank you once again for a very informative and enjoyable visit.

Connie Bower
Year 4 Teacher
Northwold Primary School
Hackney
14 January 2014

I would like to say how helpful all your staff were with our students who have severe learning difficulties, and we had a wonderful awe inspiring visit. Many thanks for your time.

Amanda Rowe
Berkshire College of Agriculture
Maidenhead
14 January 2014

I wish to express our gratitude for having arranged such a rewarding visit today for our group from Bradley University. I have brought quite a few groups to your mandir over the last fourteen years.  We have always been treated well, but today’s visit was by far the best in terms of hospitality and providing our students with a context for understanding the Hindu faith. I have no suggestions on how this visit could be made any better than today.

Dan Getz
Department Chair, Religious Studies
Bradley University
Peoria, Illinois, USA
6 January 2014