BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha chief begins five-week trip to UK

A prominent Indian spiritual leader is on a five-week visit to the UK to promote “global harmony.”

His Holiness Pujya Mahant Swami Maharaj, who heads the spiritual organisation BAPS (Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha), will participate in various programmes during his trip which began on Tuesday (2).

Pujya Mahant Swami’s stay in the UK till June 8 will “lift the morale of communities in the UK who have experienced uncertainty and adversity through the Covid-19 pandemic, cost-of-living difficulties, and various other challenges”, BAPS said in a statement.

The events taking place in his presence will focus on “strengthening faith and mobilising community service and inspiring harmony among people of all generations and backgrounds”.

His daily puja and evening programmes will be live-streamed on the BAPS Neasden temple’s website.

Temple trustee Sanjay Kara said the “news of Mahant Swami Maharaj’s visit has lifted the community.”

“So many people have experienced challenging times of late; his spiritual wisdom and presence here in the UK will bring much optimism, joy and stability.”

It will be HH Pujya Mahant Swami Maharaj’s second visit to Britain since 2017 as the leader of the Gujarat-headquartered organisation.

His visit also coincides with the coronation of King Charles III.

HH Mahant Swami Maharaj, 89, took over as the head of the Sanstha in 2016, following the death of HH Pramukh Swami Maharaj who established the Neasden Temple