People from across Lancashire enjoyed 'vibrant and colourful' Diwali celebrations at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Preston.
The event was organised by BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), a leading British Hindu fellowship, and was one of the largest devotional celebrations to be held in the region.
Pratibhaben Parmar, a local BAPS volunteer, said, “Diwali and the Hindu New Year bring values of goodwill, charity and harmony across communities in the UK.
"As families continue to grapple with challenges, it was heartwarming to bring some festive joy and smiles to the people of Preston and share memories that will bring hope and light for the rest of the year and beyond.”
The Diwali festivities included the annakut – ‘a mountain of food’ consisting of hundreds of dishes freshly prepared by devotees – that was arranged as a devotional offering of the first meal of the New Year made in thanksgiving to God.
To add to the festive experience, visitors enjoyed delicious vegetarian sweet and savoury snacks and various souvenirs.
Guests included The Deputy Lord Lieutenant and High Sheriff Mr David Taylor, the Mayor of Preston, councillor Yakub Patel, and the council's Chief Executive Mr Adrian Phillips.
David Taylor said: “The experience has been fantastic and very uplifting. I haven’t been to the centre before, but it really is remarkable.
"The food display and ceremony were absolutely terrific and have not seen anything like this before. Community in Preston means everything and it’s a big plus as we have a very diverse range of people living in the city. To see what the centre is doing is very uplifting”.
BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Preston, has been established at Ribble Bank Street since 2015.
It provides various educational, community and spiritual activities for children, youths, families and the elderly. It is also a focal place of worship for hundreds of Hindus in the Preston and surrounding areas.
BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) is an international community-based Hindu organisation affiliated to the United Nations, caring for individuals, families and societies through its more than one million members, 55,000 volunteers and 3,850 centres.
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