BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, London, celebrated the Hindu festival of Uttarayan as a fun day of kite flying for all the family on Sunday 18 January 2009. The chilly but clear skies above The Swaminarayan School grounds filled with thousands of colourful kites as over 500 people gathered to join in the celebrations.
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The international financial crisis has dominated the world’s news in recent months with increasingly worrying statistics and stories creating a sense of panic for many families and business owners. At the heart of the discussion is the topic of the ‘Credit Crunch’ – a new buzzphrase of our times. To address the true meaning, significance and impact of the economic downturn on the community at large, BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, UK (BAPS), organised a special seminar on the evening of Saturday 3 January 2009 at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Neasden, London. The aim was to provide a professional insight into the matter and to address the concerns of the people.
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BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, UK (BAPS), hosted its first Mother and Baby Welfare Workshop on Saturday 20 December 2008 at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Neasden, London.
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The statistics are shocking. Most worrying about the recent findings from Ofsted is that these habits are formed in childhood and the early teens. For example, the majority of people who take up smoking do so in adolescence; almost no one starts as an adult.
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A number of key volunteers and teaching facilitators from BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, UK (BAPS), undertook an impressive academic challenge over the weeks from October to December 2008. They enrolled on a module of Hindu Studies classes in London to learn about ‘Understanding Hindu Identity’.

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Following the Special Prayer Assembly after the tragic series of attacks in Mumbai earlier in the week, over 350 children and their dedicated voluntary teachers from the BAPS Swaminarayan Sunday School also held a prayer assembly on Sunday 30 November 2008 at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Neasden, London.

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After the horrific and tragic series of terrorist attacks in Mumbai between Wednesday 26 November and Saturday 29 November 2008, BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, UK (BAPS), held a Special Prayer Assembly at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Neasden, London, on Saturday 29 November 2008.
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The classes firstly concentrated on Unit M with the exam being taken in June of this year. These classes were held every Saturday at The Swaminarayan Independent School in Neasden, London, with some children travelling from as far as Milton Keynes, Luton and Wellingborough. The course tutor, Mr Lalji Ladwa, is a full-time Religious Studies and Gujarati teacher at the School. Special revision classes during the Easter and May Bank Holidays complemented the classroom lessons, and valuable support and encouragement from the parents helped the children prepare thoroughly.
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Nimisha Thanki, a youth leader at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Loughborough, has been presented the esteemed Diana Award for her ability to “improve and inspire the lives of others.” The award is a prestigious and lasting celebration of the work of the late Princess of Wales. It “recognises the selfless and positive contributions made by young people to their schools, communities, families or friends,“ and is awarded to “exceptional people who have become positive role models for a generation”.
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The Swaminarayan School, Europe’s first independent Hindu school, has received an outstanding report following its recent inspection by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), confirming its position as one of the best independent schools in the country.
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Following the auspicious day of Diwali on 28 October, the morning of Wednesday 29 October 2008 ushered in the Hindu New Year. From early in the morning, devotees and families arrived at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Neasden, London, to offer their prayers on the first day of the New Year. Before their arrival, volunteers had been working through the night to ensure that visitors would have a smooth and pleasant experience.
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Leader of the Conservative Party, Rt Hon. David Cameron MP, visited the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Neasden, London, to celebrate the Hindu New Year on Wednesday 29 October 2008.
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The final day of the Hindu year is considered to be one of the most auspicious and is celebrated as Diwali – the ‘Festival of Lights’. It is traditionally the day when business owners close existing account books and open new ones in preparation for the year ahead. The ceremony – called Sharada Pujan or Chopda Pujan – is also a time to take stock of one’s spiritual relationship with God.
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As part of its ongoing multifarious community outreach programmes, BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, UK (BAPS), hosted a national health awareness fair for women at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Neasden, London, on Saturday 11 October 2008.
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In 2000, at the United Nations Millennium Summit, 189 world leaders adopted a historic pledge to significantly reduce poverty, hunger and disease by 2015. The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are a roadmap to deliver this pledge with a total of eight time-bound measurable targets. Thursday 25 September 2008 marked the halfway point of the journey to 2015.
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In 1982, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution declaring an International Day of Peace. In 2001, the General Assembly adopted 21 September as the permanent date for this annual event.
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These were the words penned by just one of the hundreds of visitors who came to the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Neasden, London, as it featured again as a part of Open House London. This year the annual event took place during the weekend of 21 and 22 September 2008.
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