Temple street renamed after Pramukh Swami
A SECTION of a street in north-west London, where the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir is located, has been officially renamed ‘Pramukh Swami Road’ in honour of the temple’s inspirer, His Holiness Param Pujya Pramukh Swami Maharaj.
A decision to rename the eastern section of Meadow Garth was formally approved by Brent Council’s cabinet on October 12. The council acknowledged the temple’s position as an “international landmark” in Brent, as well as its contribution to the borough.
The local Hindu community’s relationship with Meadow Garth dates to 1980 when a small temple was established opposite the existing complex.
HH Param Pujya Pramukh Swami Maharaj inaugurated a much larger mandir on Meadow Garth in August 1995, when it became the first traditional Hindu temple of its kind in Europe and, at the time, the largest outside of India.
Dr Mayank Shah, a trustee of the temple, said, “All of us at Neasden Temple would like to offer our heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to the Brent Cabinet
and people of the borough in supporting this much-welcomed change.”
The temple has served not only as a place of worship but also as a hub of learning and is a tourist attraction. To date, it has received over 10.5 million visitors from more than 120 countries, and many prime ministers and members of the royal family have visited it.
The temple has helped deliver more than 50,000 hot meals for vulnerable people during the Covid-19 pandemic, and is now helping with local Covid-19 antigen testing through its facilities.