ShreeSwamiNarayanBhagwan: London

Swaminarayan Mandir IN London Murti Darshan

Daily Murti Darshan IN London

Therefore, in the mornings during weekdays the sacred images are adorned in a manner of a child attending school. Weekends are holidays and are devoted to leisure activities."

Daily Murti Darshan is uploaded every morning at 8.15am (local time) after the Shangar Arti.
This is today's darshan if you were to visit BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, London.

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Shri Nilkanth Varni

Bhagatji Maharaj

Shastriji Maharaj

Yogiji Maharaj

Pramukh Swami Maharaj

Shri Hanuman

Shri Sita-Rama

Shri Shiva-Parvati

Shri Ganesh

BAPS Abhishek Mandap IN London

Abhishek Mandap

The Abhishek Mandap is a marble chamber on the lower floor of the main Mandir housing the sacred image of Shri Nilkanth Varni, the teenage form of Bhagwan Swaminarayan.

After renouncing his home at the tender age of 11, Bhagwan Swaminarayan embarked upon an epic journey of spiritual awakening that took him around India, into Nepal and Tibet, and through Myanmar (Burma) and Bangladesh. During this time, he came to be known as Nilkanth Varni. Barefooted and alone, Nilkanth walked more than 7,000 miles over 7 years, blessing the land and liberating numerous spiritual aspirants along the way. Carrying no maps, no food and no money, he crossed raging rivers, faced ferocious animals, and survived the freezing winter of the Himalayas. His solitary journey is a story of courage, kindness, and enlightenment.

To commemorate and pay tribute to Bhagwan Swaminarayan’s arduous journey, Pramukh Swami Maharaj ceremoniously dedicated the murti of Nilkanth Varni at the Mandir on 6 September 2004 allowing for a daily routine of abhishek and worship.

Abhishek is the ancient Hindu practice of pouring water over the sacred image of God to honour him and to attain his blessings. It is also an opportunity for devotees to pray to God, asking him to cleanse one’s soul. To learn more about the abhishek ritual and its religious significance, please click here.

The chamber itself is clad with Italian Carrara marble, while the murti of Nilkanth Varni is gilded brass.

He is depicted mid-step (in classical contrapposto pose); emaciated, yet with a calm and resolute look. With hair matted above and a small gutko (handwritten manuscript with excerpts from sacred texts) wrapped in a kerchief around his neck, he is wearing nothing but his loincloth tied at the waist by a jute cord. In his left hand, he is carrying a dand (wooden staff) and kamandalu (drinking pot made from dry gourd), both common marks of Hindu asceticism. The pedestal upon which he stands and the delicately designed lotus basin into which the water falls are both cast in brass.

Abhishek

On special occasions, panchamrut – a holy mixture of milk, yogurt, honey, sugar and ghee – is used instead of water.

In the Abhishek Mandap on the lower floor of the Mandir, a gilded brass image of Shri Nilkanth Varni (Bhagwan Swaminarayan) has been enshrined to commemorate and pay tribute to his epic journey as a teenager.

Abhishek of this small sacred image is performed daily to the chanting of Vedic verses, including the ancient peace-prayer called the Shanti-Paath, and the recital of the 108 auspicious and liberating names of Bhagwan Swaminarayan, called the Janmangal Namavali. In all, the complete ceremony takes around 15 minutes, and is performed daily between 9.30am and noon, and again from 4pm to 5.30pm.

Devotees often offer an abhishek – or arrange for one to be performed on their behalf – on days of special significance to them, such as a birthday, wedding anniversary or in remembrance of a loved one, or sometimes to seek blessings for a personal reason.

BAPS How It Was Made

How It Was Made

Not in modern times had a traditional stone mandir of this scale and intricacy been created outside of India. It was the first time ever in the western world.

The Multi-Fold Challenge

Firstly, the Mandir had to conform to India’s ancient architectural texts, the Vastu Shastras, and yet also meet the requirements of Britain’s stringent building code.

Secondly, which stone would be durable enough to withstand the harsh British weather, strong enough to be self-load-bearing without any steel reinforcement or support (as prescribed by the Vastu Shastras), and soft enough for intricate carving?

Thirdly, how would this stone be brought together with the finest Hindu craftsmanship found only in India and be transported to north-west London?

After much research, deliberation and innovative engineering, along with much-needed guidance and blessings from His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj and the tireless efforts of thousands of volunteers, the pieces of this giant puzzle began to fall into place – quite literally.

Almost 3,000 tonnes of Bulgarian limestone was shipped 3,900 miles to India along with 1,200 tonnes of Italian Carrara marble, which made its own journey of 4,800 miles.

With a further 900 tonnes of Indian Ambaji marble, the over 5,000 tonnes of stone was hand-carved by more than 1,500 skilled artisans at 14 different sites around India into 26,300 pieces. These were then coded, packed and sent on their final 6,300-mile journey to London where each piece – the largest weighing 5.6 tonnes and the smallest only 50 grams – was assembled like a giant 3-dimensional jigsaw puzzle, all within 2.5 years.