Visitor Opinions – Visitors
[Translated from Spanish]
Hello,
First of all, I want to thank the treatment received during my visit this summer. It was a wonderful experience that I will never forget. I was lucky enough to go to a prayer service and the first image I saw when the doors of the main room [inner sanctum] opened was the one I attached in the email. It surprised me a lot and I get emotional at the same time. I hope to be able to visit them again soon.
Thank you very much for everything.
Receive a warm greeting,
Inma Sanchez
13 October 2022
I was a member of the Tonbridge U3A party visiting the Mandir on Thursday, 9th February. I just wanted to let you know how much I personally enjoyed the visit, especially your warm welcome to us all and most helpful and interesting talk and later, the question and answer session. It has helped me to understand so much more about Hinduism, its history and its benevolent influence. The Mandir itself is absolutely beautiful, and has such serenity it is a real pleasure to visit and appreciate its calm and peace and to admire the murti. It was a privilege to be present at the Arti.
Janis Roberts
11 February 2017
Mum and I want to thank you so much for our wonderful visit to the Mandir today, also for the gifts. The sweets were lovely, and I plan on starting the book later this evening.
I was very moved by the aarti ceremony, and I guess by how wonderful the whole temple is. There is something so uplifting about the peace and tranquillity of the Mandir. I was very concerned at first as I didn’t want to interrupt anyone’s devotions, or be in anyone’s way, but everyone was so kind and welcoming, and very patient with us. It was genuinely a joy to be there. Mum and I wanted to thank you especially for the mini tour and talk, it was really very lovely to have met you.
Anne and Debbie
(The Malaysian mother and daughter)
23 January 2017
[The following is excerpted from a disabled visitor’s blog. To read it in full, please click here.]
Having been to more than my fair share of mosques, churches, synagogues and temples; I can say without a doubt that this has to be my favourite. Not only for the architectural brilliance in its design, but how easy it is to get around and see everything the temple has to offer. It is very accessible as disabled parking, disabled toilets, wheelchairs and assistance are all available. As I had mentioned before, you do not have to pay to get all this amazingness! Quality. I highly recommend that everybody goes and visits the Neasden temple, definitely not one to be missed!
Jay Abdullahi
17 September 2015
Thank you so much for welcoming us to the temple on Thursday. We were so privileged to take part in a ceremony and learnt so much about Hindu life. If all religions took your passive approach and showed the kindness that you showed to people of other and no religion, then the world would be a better place.
Richard Somerwill
22 February 2015
I recently visit BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir and it was a wonderful experience! Very peaceful and beautiful! I want to congratulate you on how good the exhibition also is!
Ana Reis
14 January 2014
You get to make some extraordinary visits as Prime Minister, you get to meet some extraordinary people and you get to do some extraordinary things. But very few will actually compete with my experience on Monday, going to the Mandir in Neasden. It was a beautiful service; it was lovely to see so many people packed into a temple and queues stretching round the block; people wanting to celebrate their belief, wanting to celebrate their faith, and wanting to do so with their families, with their neighbours, with their friends. It was a really wonderful thing to do and I want to thank those that asked me to take part.
Prime Minister Rt. Hon. David Cameron MP
Public Address at 10 Downing Street celebrating Diwali
6 November 2013
These are truly spectacular celebrations. No matter what you have heard about the Annakut – the mountain of food – seeing it really is quite something. I don’t think I have ever seen such a magnificent display of different foods.
When I look around this magnificent mandir, built by thousands of volunteers who gave their time and their money – that is a spirit we can all celebrate today in Britain…. Your contribution throughout this country shines out.
Prime Minister Rt. Hon. David Cameron MP
Public Address at the Mandir celebrating the Hindu New Year
4 November 2013
Thank you for making our visit to your temple such a wonderful experience. The workers and visitors made us feel so happy. We are so glad that you don’t exclude the poor by charging to get in. We really felt the peace, love and devotion to God and were inspired by the work involved in the building.
C Ridge
20 August 2013
Yesterday, 3 Jun 2013, my wife, daughter, grandchildren and I visited the amazing Mandir at Neasden. The temple just blew us away! What wonderful workmanship and skill went into this beautiful and spiritual building. We all felt quite euphoric by the end of our fascinating visit. I would also like to heap praise on all the staff there who made us so very welcome especially a young man at reception who so kindly spent quite some time with us explaining about the very interesting history of the building and its breathtaking art. A truly terrific and spiritual experience. We will no doubt return again and certainly recommend a visit to our friends and relatives. Again, thank you so very much for everything!!
Graham Robinson
4 June 2013
Dear BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir, I have very much enjoyed my two visits to the Mandir over the past two weeks and it has been a richly rewarding experience. The building is magnificent, the Murti are beautiful and the people are warm, open, friendly and kind.
Patrick Kennedy
18 May 2013
[The following is excerpted from a visitor’s blog. To read it in full, please click here.]
If you’re in London, this stunning attraction is well worth a visit. The whole building is incredible, something like you’d only see in films or on an adventure trip to India! I was amazed by the architecture – a very attractive building in a typical urban backdrop, and the fine details that had gone into this temple will move you to bits. It’s hard not to feel an inner peace when entering this place. The whole place felt very special, with the exhibition inside really providing me a rich enlightenment into Hinduism and culture as a whole. I can’t describe the experience in actual words; it truly is one of those places where you really must have to go to appreciate its existence. I was treated very well by the helpful staff and I can honestly say it is well managed making visitors feel most welcome.
Cindy Cheung
Graphic Designer
Sheffield
25 February 2013
On Wednesday December 26th I visited your temple with my wife, daughter and two grandchildren. We were very impressed by the architecture and information offered. Also by the kindness, courtesy and friendliness of the staff – in particular the ‘security’ gentleman in the temple proper, who spent much time explaining the mandir and what it stands for, and the gentleman downstairs who manned the entrance to the exhibition, and who did likewise. They both were informed that I am a retired Church of England priest, and were most welcoming nevertheless. When we arrived at the exhibition we discovered that we had not brought enough money to pay to enter – but some kind visitors (worshippers, I think) noticed our plight and immediately gave us the £8 we needed, as a donation to the mandir. For all this I am deeply grateful, and intend to visit again when I have the time to examine the premises properly. This may not be for some time, since I live in County Durham, and visit my family only two or three times a year. Every blessing upon you.
Rev. Dr. M. D. Gray
Retired Church of England Priest
County Durham
26 December 2012
Hi! My wife and I visited your amazing Mandir a week ago and just wanted to say thank you for an incredible visit. The staff were friendly and helpful; we learned a lot and enjoyed the time immensely.
Bennett Tony
A. J. Bennett DCR(R); MSc
Superintendent Practitioner in Nuclear Medicine
West Suffolk Hospital
21 March 2011
It is a great privilege to visit the temple. It is really a fantastic place to visit and one can get peace in mind while in the temple. The cleanliness and maintenance of temple is appropriate. The architecture is a thing of beauty to keep in mind. The temple is doing a great service to Hindu culture in particular as well as mankind in general.
M Sadananda Nayak
Executive Director
Punjab National Bank (International)
9 March 2011
It was a great pleasure to visit this sacred temple. It is indeed my good fortune that my students brought me here. The temple is immaculate and its cleanliness is admirable. I pray to God and Bhagwan Swaminarayan to give me another chance to visit this great temple of pure intent, sacred environment and a perfect message.
Dr Sreena Shah
Dean of Student Affairs
SMU Grand Cayman
29 January 2010
I must say from the bottom of my heart that visiting this temple as a centre of Hindu faith and religion has been one my life’s profoundly satisfying experiences. It makes one aware of the immense wisdom religion bestows on people and values which we as human beings should live with in order to make this world a place worth living. My namaskars and best wishes to everyone who is making this establishment a model for its devotees and others.
Uday M Chitak
Chartered Accountant
Human House, Mumbai
2 May 2009
Wow! I find myself groping for adjectives to describe the awesome feeling inside me on seeing this astounding temple, representing the richness of Hinduism and the great magnificence of its temple architecture. I feel it my privilege to have got a darshan in this great temple and appreciate the efforts by the Swaminarayan Trust in so many fields of social service. I wish them all the best!
D. Nagendra Kumar
Superintendent of Police & ADC to Governer
Raj Bhavan
13 November 2008
This is the best and the most wonderful and beautiful temples I have ever been to. The ambience here is wonderful and the hospitality which I received here was excellent. The volunteers here are doing a wonderful job and I wish them all the very best in their respective endeavours.
Rahul Gupta, IAS
District Development Officer
Anand
24 October 2008
This was an experience par excellence. For the time I remained here I constantly felt the presence of some divine force. The serenity, calmness and ease of the atmosphere gave us a feeling of relief, peace and harmony with the world. The exhibition on Hinduism gave me an idea of how deep the thinking was behind this religion. I go with a feeling of belonging and pray to Bhagwan Swaminarayan to bless me so that I can visit again and again.
Rakesh B. Dubey
Cultural Attache, High Commission of India
India House
4 October 2008
Coming to Neasden Mandir was a dream come true. It was an amazing experience and truly rewarding. The beauty of this temple is awesome and marvels specially in this part of the world. The journey through the Hindu exhibition was great. Swaminarayan Temple is truly doing a great service to humanity and Hinduism.
Adesh Gupta
CEO Libery Group
21 September 2008
My mum, husband and myself visited the Mandir on Sunday, as my mum studies Yoga and has become interested in Hinduism. I just wanted to let you know that the visit was very moving and humbling for us and that we were made to feel very welcome even on such a busy day.
As a Christian, this is the first place of worship I have ever visited of a different faith. The atmosphere of the temple was very peaceful and, for me, God was very much present that day.
The exhibition was very informative: Mum told us that she has taken three years to understand through intense study the concepts and history presented in such an accessible way here!
So thank you for making us feel so welcome. I think that we will be back and I & my husband now have an even greater understanding and respect for the Hindu faith & communities.
Jessica Josef
Visitor
15 April 2007
I just wanted to contact you to let you know how much I really enjoyed my recent visit to the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir last week. My friend and I were struck with the beauty of the building and the friendliness of the people. There was a wonderful atmosphere in the place and it felt so calm and peaceful. I knew nothing about Hinduism before (I admit to only knowing a tiny bit now) but we were made so welcome by everyone and encouraged to look, read and ask questions that we felt totally at ease.
Once again many thanks to everyone. We’ll be back!
Kelly Lovell
Visitor
27 January 2006
My family and I have just returned from the visit to London. One of our stop offs was at the Mandir in Neasden. My wife is a teacher with a special interest in world religion, and she had read about your Mandir. To come across a place of such beauty and tranquillity in the suburbs of London was simply amazing. We were totally overawed by the whole experience and thank you for allowing us to visit.
Colin Grainger
Visitor
30 October 2004
My husband an I visited the Swaminarayan Mandir yesterday, for my birthday treat. I just wanted to tell you that we loved every minute. We both devoured the excellent exhibition, and learned an incredible amount about Hinduism through the ages. It was a really well thought out, informative exhibition.
The building itself is breathtaking. Breathtaking. Thank you for a wonderful and very friendly visit. We’ll be telling our friends to come and visit you too!
Jane
Stay Connected
