THOUSANDS of people attended an event with an Indian spiritual leader who was spreading the message of peace for Interfaith Week.

Brahmrishi Shree Kumar Swamiji visited Harrow Leisure Centre, in Christchurch Avenue, on Sunday evening.

The swami was born in 1954 into a farming family in Rajasthan.

He studied ayurveda, an ancient Indian system of medicine, and founded a health centre called the Bhagwan Shree Lakshmi Narayan Dham, in Delhi, India.

Organiser Sanjay Jagatia said: "I would estimate there were about 3,200 people in total who arrived for the event.

"Many of the guests arrived early in the morning to see him as he only visits once a year. We expected about 1500 to 1800 people so it was surprising to get that many.

"He is considered with the same kind of respect as the Pope gets in the Christian community.

"There were also a lot of people from other communities, which was especially good as it is Interfaith week.

"We didn't finish until midnight with prayers and people who wanted to receive his blessings."

Earlier in the week Brahmrishi Shree Kumar Swamiji was invited to the House of Commons before his visit to Harrow by Stephen Timms, Labour MP for East Ham.