A grand colourful procession through the heart of Preston will mark the opening of the new BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir.

The long-awaited opening of the Mandir comes after almost five years of tireless efforts by hundreds of dedicated volunteers and worshippers.

The Mandir is the inspiration of His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj, an internationally renowned Hindu leader and creator of the famous ‘Neasden Temple’ in London and Swaminarayan Akshardham in New Delhi.

At the heart of any Hindu temple is the spiritual essence of Bhagwan (God) in the form of the murtis, or sacred images.

These will be the focus of the grand procession on Saturday, November 7 and consecrated in the temple shrines on Sunday, November 8 with an ancient Vedic ceremony known as the ‘Murti Pran-Pratishtha’.

The events are set to be attended by hundreds of people from around the country including the Mayor of Preston, Margaret McManus, members of the University of Central Lancashire and Lancashire Constabulary, and various other civic leaders and community representatives.

The temple has been built by BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), an internationally renowned spiritual organisation affiliated with the United Nations Economic and Social Council.

BAPS dedicates its resources to the selfless service of individuals, families and communities, with a focus on health awareness and community cohesion.

In recent years, the BAPS community in Preston has organised annual sponsored walkathons, sponsored bike rides and skydiving in support of charities such as the British Heart Foundation, Diabetes UK, Breast Cancer Care and Age UK.