NEASDEN TEMPLE, LONDON
Neasden Temple, formally known as BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, opened in 1995 as the first traditional Hindu temple in Europe. Today it serves as both a place of worship and a centre for community outreach activities. The construction of the site required the work of hundreds of volunteers, and was finally completed in 1995, at a cost of £12 million (raised wholly by the community). It has since been lauded as one of the UK’s most impressive and culturally valuable buildings. Neasden Temple has remained a landmark in the borough of Brent, and London at large, serving the Hindu community by providing a place of worship and togetherness. It took two and half years to complete the building of the temple which was done without the use of any iron or concrete.
