Sadiq Khan led Diwali celebrations at a London temple.

The Shree Swaminarayan Mandir, Kingsbury, welcomed Mayor of London Sadiq Khan as a guest for the Diwali festivities held on Monday (October 28).

The Hindu Temple opened in 2014 as part of the worldwide centre for spiritual, cultural and social welfare under the same name.

When entering the temple, the Mayor was presented with a sanctified rosary by Acharya Swamishree Maharaj, the spiritual leader of the Maninagar Swaminarayan Gadi Sansthan, as well as a basket of sanctified sweets from this years Annakut display.

Harrow Times:

Mr Khan said: “As I walked towards the Mandir, the word ‘wow’ springs to mind, even though I’ve been here many times before. This Shree Swaminarayan Mandir in Kingsbury is literally one of the best Mandirs not just in our city, not just in our country, not just in Europe, but in the world.

“We talk about Diwali as being a time for celebrating good over evil, commemorating the fact that light overcame darkness and it’s time we remember that friendship overcomes enmity. But it doesn’t happen by itself, it happens because of the hard work of wonderful communities like the one here in this Shree Swaminarayan Mandir Kingsbury.

“One of the wonderful things about this Mandir is that it’s a beacon, it’s a lighthouse, not simply in the faith but in relation to culture. We heard about music, the arts, sports, the sense of community, the sense of charity. And so, I’ll end my few words by saying thank you – thank you for all the things that you do.”

Harrow Times:

The Mandir will be closing out its Diwali celebrations by hosting a blood donation session on November 3.