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BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir stands in continuation of a millennia-old Hindu tradition of worshipping the Divine through murtis (murti = image or statue) enshrined in mandirs (mandir = temple). A physical mandir helps one internalise the purity, peace, and presence of God all around. In describing a mandir, His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj also explains: “A mandir is a place of paramount peace… to realise God.” For mandirs, it aims to create spiritually charged and conducive spaces, bringing together the Divine dweller and the sacred dwelling, as well as the worshipped and the worshipper. Aesthetically brilliant and technically precise, the beauty and discipline behind mandir architecture enjoys a long and celebrated history in Hinduism. Few places reach so far into the heart of the Hindu faith and into the faith of the individual Hindu.

The seeds of BAPS in the UK were sown in the middle of the last century, when in 1950, with the blessings of Shastriji Maharaj, Mahendrabhai Patel (‘Barrister’), Purushottambhai Patel and a few other devotees began to meet occasionally for Satsang in London. Mahendrabhai landed in London in 1950 for further studies. Purushottambhai was a devotee of Shastriji Maharaj living in Kent, whose address was given to me by Yogiji Maharaj. Yogiji Maharaj regularly wrote to the devotees to meet regularly for Satsang. Slowly, Indians, still few in number, began arriving in London. Construction of the Mandir began in 1991 and it was inaugurated in 1995. Popularly known as the 'Neasden Temple’, the Mandir is a traditional place of Hindu worship designed and constructed entirely according to ancient Vedic architectural texts – using no structural steel whatsoever.

Visitors to BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir hail from various countries around the world. To cater for some of those visitors from abroad, a succinct visitor information leaflet is available in 13 different languages. They are open to visit from schools, colleges and other educational institutions.

Faiths In Tune is an all-day interfaith musical festival that promotes interfaith dialogue and coexistence through music. Specifically, the Festival brings together hundreds of people of different cultures and faiths to share and experience music from their respective backgrounds. The Mandir is committed to engaging, sharing and collaborating with different faith communities in the UK, including during the annual National Interfaith Week. The Mandir also provides a platform for children to learn and develop their musical skills and present their talent during various cultural programmes throughout the year.

Schools can organize visits that include a 30-minute introductory talk by a guide plus a question-and-answer session, a video presentation, and visit of the Mandir as well as a visit to the ‘Understanding Hinduism’ exhibition.