The "Shri Swaminarayan Mandir" also known as "Neasden Temple" is a Hindu place of worship in the north west of London. To find it was the first traditional Hindu Temple of its kind in Europe impressed me, it was a shame we had to wait until 1995 to receive this spectacular example of such a peaceful culture.
As in other Mandir and here amongst the intricate stone carvings you will find a number of Murti (images depicting divine spirits). There are 24 of these to represent the different Saints and Gods of the Hindu faith including Swaminarayan himself (above), believed to be an incarnation of God and to whom the temple gives it dedication and name.
Aside from its religious symbology and political implications the element of this building that really blew me away was its construction! Firstly it's all stone, right down to the supporting beams, all piecing together like some gigantic 3D jigsaw puzzle. Comprised mostly of two kinds of stone nearly 5000 tons of Bulgarian limestone and Italian Marble fit together to form this gem of London. These were calculated choices for the Temple to be able to withstand the British climate; limestone would provide the protection needed against the elements while the marble aesthetically formed the interior.
I was shocked to find that the start to finish of this project took just over a year and a half, from the first stone cut in Feb 1993 to the grand opening in Aug 1995. Understandably delivering such quantities of stone from country to country would require some time but when you discover it took the skill of over 1,500 men in India to carve this masterpiece you can't help but be impressed with with the sheer scale and skill involved throughout this project. It's hard not to see Shri Swaminarayan Mandir as a testament to ancient architecture and engineering genius as well as appreciating its values of community spirit and religious tranquility.
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