Theresa Villiers, MP for Chipping Barnet, visited the Swaminarayan Mandir in Neasden on Thursday to show her support for the British Indian community in London and learn more about the Hindu faith. The visit was arranged by the Conservative MP for Harrow East, Bob Blackman, who has been a great friend of the temple for many years. The visit was hosted by leading members of the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir, Vinu Bhattessa and Nitin Palan, both of whom played a key role in the foundation of the temple in the 1990s.
Following her visit, Theresa said "This was a fascinating visit. I have been to the mandir before but today's visit gave me a much greater understanding of the scale of what has been achieved here."
"I very much enjoyed seeing the "Understanding Hinduism" exhibition on the Hindu faith and its origins. There can be no doubt of the significant influence of Hindu culture on the rest of the world, not least with Sanskrit being part of the ancestry of virtually all modern European languages. It's also the case that Hindu mathematicians revolutionised science in Asia and Europe."
"It was inspiring to learn more about how the mandir was created. I learned from Vinu and Nitin today of the huge effort which was made by thousands of volunteers and donors to take the temple from an idea to a reality in just a few years."
"The temple itself provides an atmosphere of tranquility and spirituality which I know will be crucially important to all the devotees who attend worship there."