UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday visited the Akshardham Temple in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
The Prime Minister was accompanied by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendrabhai Patel and HE Alex Ellis, High Commissioner of the United Kingdom to India.
Brahmaviharidas Swami gave Johnson a tour of Swaminarayan Akshardham, a 23-acre spiritual and cultural complex dedicated to Bhagwan Swaminarayan (1781–1830), India’s avatars, devas, and great sages.
It depicts India’s traditions and ancient architecture while also promoting Hindu spiritual messages of faith, devotion, and harmony that have stood the test of time. “This is the mother of all mandirs,” the UK Prime Minister exclaimed. It is the origin of your magnificent mandirs all over the world.”
Inside the main monument, UK Prime Minister paid respects to the murti of Bhagwan Swaminarayan by offering flowers and admiring the art and architecture.
He learned how His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the fifth spiritual leader of BAPS, inspired thousands of volunteers and artisans to create Akshardham to share the messages of love, peace, tolerance, non-violence, co-existence, and global harmony.
Johnson conveyed his best wishes for the ongoing worldwide Pramukh Swami Maharaj Centenary Celebrations and the grand 30-day festival to be held in Ahmedabad from 15 December 2022 to 13 January 2023.
The UK Prime Minister then proceeded to the Abhishek hall, where he performed the Abhishek on the murti of Shri Nilkanth Varni Maharaj, the teenage-yogi form of Bhagwan Swaminarayan, and offered prayers for world peace, progress, and harmony, while appreciating the exhibition halls’ messages of peace, world harmony, social uplift, and personal integrity.
Johnson shared, “Every time I visit a BAPS temple I am uplifted and feel a sense of deep spirituality. All of you, by your selfless work, values, and goodness, are contributing in an amazing way towards world development.”