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Safeway
Magazine
The October 2003 issue of the Safeway magazine, highlights the mandir
in its write-up, “A spicy feast for the Festival of Light”.
It remarks, “Celebrating Diwali in grand style at the Shri
Swaminarayan Mandir Hindu Temple in North London, where over 1,000
vegetarian dishes are offered to the Gods, and prayers are said
for world peace and prosperity.” It has also included photographs
of Neasden Temple with the splendor of its lights and fireworks
in the backdrop, with the sacred murtis of Ghanshyam Maharaj and
of the Central Shrine.
Safeway
is a magazine produced for shoppers at ‘Safeway’,
the fourth biggest grocery retailer in the UK, with 480 stores
nationwide, attracting around 8 million shoppers every week, with
90,000 employees and annual sales of around £9 billion.
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The
Independent
On 18th October, "The Independent" – daily newspaper of
UK printed in its weekly special issue dated 18-24 October 2003,
namely, "THE INFORMATION – The essential guide to going out
and staying in": “The 50 Best Modern Buildings to visit”
in which “Neasden Temple” is included as no. 2. The
magazine says: “It’s difficult to imagine, but the
north-west London suburb of Neasden is the home to the boldest
ecclesiastical building erected in Britain since the Middle ages.”
The 50 are chosen
as the 10 Best buildings from the following five categories:
Commercial, Religious, Worldly Wonders, Tourism/Arts, Museums/Galleries.
The 50 Best Modern Buildings are from all over the world and include:
the London Eye; The Burj Al Arab, Dubai; Thermal Spa, Vals, Switzerland;
Tate Modern, London; REICHSTAG, Germany; The National Museum of
Australia; Roden Crater, Arizona, USA; Chikatsu Asuka Historical
Museum, Japan; National Space Centre, Leicester; Millennium Dome,
London, etc.
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Guinness World Records 2002
Annakut Festival, London, 2000
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Guinness
World Records 2002
There
are 45,000 officially recognised records approved by Guinness
World Records limited. Every year some 3,000 are chosen and
published in the book.
The 2002 edition had a print run of 3.7 million copies distributed
in 40 countries and in 20 languages. The first book of records
was printed in 1955 and to date over 90 million copies have
been sold.
In
the 2002 edition, the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha has the distinction
of being mentioned three times.
Influential
People
The
book has a section on Influential People of the World. Pramukh
Swami Maharaj was chosen as one of the most influential people
today in recognition for His contribution in transforming the
lives of millions through the building of mandirs.
Record-breaking
Annakut Festival, London
Guinness World Records presented a certificate to recognise
the world record of offering 1247 vegetarian dishes during the
Annakut Festival held at the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, London
on 27 October 2000.
Record-breaking
Mandir
Guinness
World Records presented a certificate to recognise the largest
traditionally-built Hindu temple outside India.
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Mr. Tim Footman
presents Guinness World Records certificates to Pramukh Swami Maharaj,
July 2000 |
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Guinness
World Records 2000
The
Millennium Edition of Guinness World Records 2000 hailed
His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj as a masterbuilder. On page
36, under the Architects & Masterbuilders category of the
Knowledge section, a colour photograph of the London mandir and
Pramukh
Swami Maharaj, together with brief details
of the Mandir were included.
The book reveals, "Biggest Hindu Temple Outside India: The
Shri Swaminarayan Temple in Neasden, London, UK, is the largest
Hindu temple outside India. It was built by His Holiness Pramukh
Swami Maharaj, a 79-year-old Indian sadhu (holy man), and is made
of 2,828 tonnes of Bulgarian limestone and 2,000 tonnes of Italian
marble, which was first shipped to India to be carved by a team
of 1,526 sculptors. The temple cost £12 million to build."
As it was a collector's item, a staggering 2.7 million copies
of the new Millennium Edition were printed, making it the largest
initial print run of a colour illustrated non-fiction book. The
English edition was distributed to 70 different countries, with
another 22 editions in foreign languages. |
Biggest Hindu Temple
Outside India |
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Guinness
World Records 1998
The
mandir was mentioned in the 1998 edition on page 185, in the Architecture
category of the Commerce section. A colour photograph and details
of the mandir were included under the title "Largest stone
Hindu temple outside India."
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Guinness
World Records 1997
The
first time the mandir was recognized was in the 1997 Guinness Book
of World Records.
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Stone
: Building Stone, Rock Fill and Armourstone in Construction |
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Stone
: Building Stone, Rock Fill and Armourstone in Construction
Load-bearing
and Self-supporting Masonary
The term load-bearing masonary is, in the building industry,
usually understood to mean masonary that supports loads and/or
resists forces additional to those due to its own weight. Self-supporting
masonry is similarly understood to support only its own weight,
although it often has to resist wind loads, e.g. as freestanding
garden walls. A good introduction to the use of both load-bearing
masonry and masonry facades to framed buildings can be found
in the 'classic' work by Warland (1929) and the more recent
book by Hill & David (1995). A recent, rare example in the
UK is the Hindu temple, or Mandir, in Neasden, London, The temple
was constructed from Bulgarian limestone block supported on
a plinth of Sardinian granite and the interior is lined with
intricately carved marble from India and Italy.
(Published by the Geological Society)
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70 Wonders of the World – Reader's
Digest
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Reader's Digest
70 Wonders of the World
While
the Sultan of Brunei's £300m palace has been included for
its wealth of 1,788 rooms in 297 acres, the Petronas Twin Towers
in Kuala Lumpur as the tallest building at 452m, the 37.5km Channel
Tunnel as the longest undersea tunnel, the Sydney Opera House
in Australia as a visionary building, the Golden Gate Bridge in
San Francisco for its awe, the Millennium Dome for its ebullience
and ambitiousness – the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir has qualified
for its magnificence, beauty, intricacy and the story of how it
was built. |
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The
Book
After
carefully considering and evaluating thousands of buildings and
constructions in every country of the world, built since 1900,
a Reader's Digest's recent publication, The Eventful 20th Century
– 70 Wonders of the Modern World, has included the Shri Swaminarayan
Mandir, Neasden, London – devoting two full pages (124-125) to
the beauty and story of the mandir with colour photographs. The
Endpapers, front and back, feature a newspaper headline 'Temple
takes Neasden to new heights', and the Timechart which categorises
the list of 70 wonders, highlights only one single global event
in the year 1995 – it is the making of the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir!
The 160-page first edition in English had 100,000 copies in circulation
as well as translated versions in other major languages of the
world.
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Why the Mandir
was Selected
The Mandir was selected because it made a global impact when inaugurated
in 1995 and since then, there has been a continued global interest.
The mandir and its news were carried in almost all leading newspapers
and TV channels of the world. And it still continues to hold its
unique status as a powerful center of attraction. Describing 'What
Makes A Wonder,' the editor mentions the mandir with these words:
"The Shree Swaminarayan temple deserves a place...because
of its intricate detail and the extraordinary story of how it
was built." |
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Extract
from the Article
"Like
the Colossus of Rhodes, some 20th century structures qualify on
account of the extraordinary scale of their artistic ambition....
Others earn our wonderment for their luxurious grandeur and extraordinarily
lavish decoration, testament to the ambition of the individuals
who built them. Hearst Castle, dating back to the 1920s and 1930s,
was a rich man's fantasy estate, a place of spectacular opulence
and bountiful entertainment that took over 18 years to build....the
Great Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco, is probably the
most sumptuous religious building created in the 20th century.
The Shri Swaminarayan temple in Neasden, north London, in contrast,
deserves a place not only because of its scale, but because of
its intricate detail, and the extraordinary story of how it was
built."
"Neasden is famous for its ordinariness, a north London suburb
of small industrial estates, tower blocks and residential streets
lined with red-brick terrace houses. It makes an incongruous setting
for one of Britain's most extraordinary 20th century buildings,
the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, a Hindu temple – 'an abode of peace,
love and harmony' – built to the meticulous standards of ancient
religious tradition.... The Shri Swaminarayan Mandir complex represents
an act of faith. Over 1000 volunteers worked on the building,
and many more contributed and solicited donation, or organised
sponsored walks and other activities; children raised money by
collecting aluminium cans and foil for recycling.
"The temple complex was completed in just three years, at
a cost of about £5 million, over half of which went on materials.
The cost would have been incalculably higher without the efforts
of the volunteers. As a result, when the temple was opened in
August 1995, the ceremonies were greeted with great excitement
and a deep sense of achievement by those who had contributed."
(Pages 124-125)
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Interesting Comparisons
Analysing the seventy
wonders, one realises a subtle fact. Almost all the buildings
– whether they are extraordinary dwellings, commercial ventures,
funlands, power structures, tunnels, bridges, monuments, memorials
or futuristic complexes – are either government financed and supported,
or backed by a king or a millionaire – except one. The exact statistics
are eye-opening – 44 have been constructed by government funds,
12 have been built by wealthy individuals, 11 were financed by
mega-corporations, wealthy foundations or a group of rich people
and 2 have been created by kings! But only one – Shri Swaminarayan
Mandir – is a marvel of voluntary effort, made by common working
class people and built by their devotion and donations. It is
an act of faith and dedication. And it stands amongst the few
that were completed within 3 years! However, the most interesting
feature is the last question the editor asks, "We live too
close to the wonders of the 20th century to know which will stand
the test of time over another 50 years, let alone 2000 years."
Of the 7 ancient wonders, the Pyramids are the only wonder that
have stood the test of 2000 years. Of these 70, which wonders
would be standing after a 1000 years? Not commenting on the others,
the mandir is made to last a 1000 years. |
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Perspectives on Architecture
November
1995 Issue 19, Vol. 2 (Magazine)
Spirit of suburbia
The Swaminarayan Mandir is a startling sight on the North Circular Road. Glistening spires and intricate arches rise out of the suburbs. But Britain’s first authentic Hindu temple is part of an architectural tradition which stretches back for centuries. Adam Hardy is overwhelmed by the temple’s splendour.
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Natural
Stone Specialist
September
1995 (Magazine)
"Amid the concrete tower blocks of Neasden, almost into Harlesden,
which is designated a Deprived Inner London Area, sits a gigantic
anomaly in limestone, marble and granite; an Eastern temple, or
mandir, 21m tall, 23m wide and 59m long...
"Located in NW10, just off the North Circular, this creamy-white
mandir, its domes and turrets reaching up to the grey skies of
England, is a world away from the hot dusty roads of India, the
country which inspired the philosophy which led to the creation
of the temple.
"This
extraordinary project came about as the result of a Hindu organisation,
the Swaminarayan Hindu Mission, responding to the wishes of their
guru, Pramukh Swami Maharaj, to build a 'center of spiritual harmony'.
"The carving of the mandir unquestionably emphasises the
mystical Eastern feel of the building, yet project construction
still had a firm sense of practicalities where the use of hi-tech
stone working machinery was concerned, especially in the design
stage use of computer modelling and data-base for scheduling works,
which tracked each piece of stone from its quarry origin to its
carving site in India and finally its position in the building..."
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Millennium Album
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Millennium
Album
"Magnificent Swaminarayan Hindu Temple"
The Millennium
Commemorative Album illustrates Britain through 19 different
themes: The Story of Time, A Century in A Moment, Faith, Medicine,
Health and Beauty, Sport, Food, Work, The Dome at Greenwich,
Money and Trade, Exploration and Travel, Mind and Invention,
Education and others. It brings alive some of the many facets
of life in Britain in the last 1000 years, in letter and colourful
photographs, to help understand its heritage and future.
On page 40,
in 'Multi-faith Britain today', Michael Ipgrave describes
the spiritual communities and faiths in Britain. The four-page
article also includes a colour photograph and write-up of
the prestigious Shri Swaminarayan Mandir. After mentioning
the transformation of a church to a mosque in Spitalfields
(London), Michael Ipgrave writes, "Eight miles further
north-west travelling through the quiet streets of Neasden
you might suddenly glimpse an enormous, glistening palace
of white marble. This is the magnificent Swaminarayan Hindu
temple, opened in 1995 through the committed efforts of devotees
throughout the country."
Book : The Official Commemorative Album for the Millennium
Published by : Citroen Wolf Communications, London (1999)
Total Pages : 304
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London |
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London
A City Revealed
A visual tribute to the city
of London. The book reveals the inner sanctums of some of the
world's most spectacular constructions and visual experiences
of its parks, markets, palaces and the River Thames. The book
takes pride in including the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir.
London
– A City Revealed is an informative pictorial guide to
people who want to visit London or savour the once-mighty imperial
city's sights sitting at home. The colourful pictorial guide
starts with the Thames River and traces its meandering course
which it says is "A Voyage Through A Nation's History".
The Book has pictures of Windsor, Kensington Palace, Hyde Park,
Buckingham Palace, Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey,
etc. It also captures the stylish, bustling shops, the royal
pageantry, the spacious parks and nearly 2000 years of history.
The book does not fail to include a magnificent addition to
the London skyline.
On page 170, the
publication carries a box 'Delights of the East' and says "Moving
West from Hampstead Heath, in the unfashionable area of Neasden,
a magnificent Hindu Temple, Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, was completed
in 1995. Its assembly hall with a capacity of 2,500, is the
largest in Europe. It was developed by and for the local Hindu
community and is faithful to a thousand-year tradition of design
in timber and stone."
The colour picture alongside the box shows the interior of the
mandir with the caption, "The Shri Swaminarayan Mandir
temple has brought out the magnificence of Hindu architecture
to the otherwise far from exotic area of Neasden."
Book : London – A City Revealed (Reprinted Edition 1999)
Produced by : AA Publishing (1999)
Total Pages: 176
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Hindu
Mandir |
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Hindu
Mandir
The book, Hindu
Mandir, briefly describes the making of the Shri Swaminarayan
Mandir and some of the rituals of worship and festivals celebrated
by the devotees. Colourful pictures of the mandir, intricate carvings,
rituals of arti are portrayed.
The
author writes, "At first sight, the mandir looks like an
enormous iced wedding cake, covered inside and out with exquisite
carvings. The outside is limestone; the inside is made from more
than 2000 tonnes of marble, from Italy and India. This was sent
to India to be cut and carved by hundreds of craftsmen, then shipped
to Britain where the 26,300 pieces were fitted together like a
giant jigsaw – an extraordinary feat! The finest details, such
as the fingernails of the sacred images and the creases in their
clothes, were carved last of all... The Neasden mandir is dedicated
to Lord Swaminarayan, who lived from 1781-1830 CE... The present
Guru, Pujya Pramukh Swami Maharaj, is the fifth in line. The movement
is based in Gujarat, in western India, but has many followers
all over the world. In Britain, it is known as the Swaminarayan
Hindu Mission."
By
Courtesy of Author, Anita Ganeri
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London
– A Hindu Temple |
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London
A Hindu Temple
A veritable celebration
of the great city in her varying moods. Louise Nicholson's script
matches in vibrancy Richard Turpin's telling photographs that
capture London's infancy when the city took its first steps
as Londinium – A Roman settlement which declined. But invaders
like Vikings were attracted by the wealth of the port. In subsequent
centuries the city became the mistress of an empire over which
the sun set only in our lifetime. The march is graphically presented.
The River Thames, The Merchants' City and Port, Westminster,
West London, its parks and museums, north London villages are
captured on film.
The author has
added the latest acquisition to the city's landscape – a dominating
one at that – the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir at Neasden. She writes
on page 178 under the heading 'A Hindu Temple', "The beehive-shaped
roofs and domes of Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, dedicated in August
1995, rise above the surrounding houses of Neasden in north-west
London. The temple is the first of its kind to be built in Europe.
In its plan, scale, construction and riot of elaborate carving,
it follows the traditional form of the Hindu temple that was
developed by the great empires of India during the seventh to
twelfth centuries... The project took three years to complete.
More than a thousand volunteers joined the workforce to realize
the dream of Pujya Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the high priest and
fifth spiritual successor to Shri Swaminarayan to whom the temple
is dedicated."
1½ pages
are devoted to a picture showing the magnificent shikhars of
the mandir.
Book : London (1998)
Author : Louise Nicholson
Photographs : Richard Turpin
Publisher : Frances Lincoln
Pages : 208
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Religious
Buildings |
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Religious
Buildings
Besides the cover
title, Anita Ganeri the author, includes a colour picture of the
Shree Swaminarayan Mandir, London. She writes, "Hindus go
to worship, meet their friends and learn about their faith..."
Book : Religious Buildings
Author : Anita Ganeri
Publisher : Wayland
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