Wednesday 2nd November 2005 heralded the start of the Hindu New Year. Devotees arrived at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Neasden, from early morning to behold the beautifully adorned deities in the sanctum sanctorum. The first arti – the Mangala Arti – of the New Year (Vikram Samvat 2062) was performed at 5:30am. After the Shangar Arti, a special Mahapuja ceremony was held in which prayers for world peace were offered.

As the clock edged towards midday, the shrines of the sacred deities were filled with sumptuous offerings of vegetarian food. The Annakut offering included hundreds of items of food, snacks, sweets, pickles, spicy dishes, salads, fruit drinks and other items devotionally prepared by volunteers.

The ceremonial arti was performed at noon as devotees, visitors and well-wishers flocked to observe the traditional offering. A joyous day concluded as each visitor left smiling, gifted with a calendar and prasad as part of the festivities.

Everyone also had the opportunity to view the trailer of ‘Mystic India’ – the large format film on India’s priceless culture, traditions, festivals, architecture, landscapes and facescapes with the powerful message of ‘Unity in Diversity’. The ‘Mystic India’ film is currently being shown in large format theatres in London (Science Museum), Bristol and Bradford.