Raj Sadosh/Abohar.

Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla visited BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Neasden, London – popularly known as ‘Neasden Temple’ – to mark the Mandir’s 30th anniversary.

Their Majesties were welcomed by Jitu Patel, Chairman of the Board of Trustees. This was His Majesty’s first visit to the Mandir as monarch, following previous visits as the Prince of Wales, and Her Majesty’s third visit, reflecting the Royal Family’s longstanding and warm relationship with the Mandir and the BAPS Hindu community.

Their Majesties were welcomed with flower garlands. His Majesty was warmly greeted by resident swami in the traditional Hindu manner.

Their Majesties met volunteers and community members and learned about the Temple’s charitable work, including its longstanding partnership with The Felix Project – a London-based charity that redistributes surplus food to alleviate hunger for the vulnerable – which also forms a part of His Majesty’s Coronation Food Project.

Their Majesties also learned about the upcoming BAPS Swaminarayan Hindu Mandir in Paris – the first traditional Hindu temple in France – opening next September, while meeting key members of the project team.

Yogvivekdas Swami, Head Swami of the Temple, said, “It was an honour for the community to welcome Their Majesties to Neasden Temple on this historic occasion.”

BAPS chief Mahant Swami Ji Maharaj, through a video message, said “Though I cannot be present, my heart and prayers are with you and the Royal Family. Pramukh Swami Maharaj would be delighted to see you here on this occasion. I have drawn upon your words from a speech you delivered in 1991, in which you said: ‘The most urgent need for Western man is to rediscover that divine element in his being, without which there can never be any possible hope or meaning to our existence in this earthly realm.’ That insight has stayed with me.”