Diwali Celebrations as BAPS Hindu Temple in Preston receive special invite to Preston North End

Diwali is the Hindu ‘Festival of Light’, when hope, compassion, and goodwill are harnessed and celebrated.

Councillor Neil Darby, Mayor of Preston, the Director of Public Health for Lancashire, Dr Sakthi Karunanithi, the Chief Executive of Preston City Council, Mr Adrian Phillips, representatives from Preston North End football club, amongst other dignitaries joined hundreds from the local community, to celebrate Diwali and the Hindu New Year at the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Preston.

The Temple heralded the Hindu New Year on Wednesday 26 October. As part of the festivities, visitors were able to see the ‘annakut’ – hundreds of food dishes lovingly prepared, artistically arranged and devoutly offered to the deities by worshippers in thanksgiving as the first meal of the New Year. The sanctified food was later distributed among devotees, volunteers, and visitors.

Continuing on in the spirit and values of Diwali, children from BAPS Preston were invited to attend the match between Preston North End and Middlesbrough FC, on Saturday 29 November.

In a show of community unity and tolerance, the children took part in a penalty shootout on the pitch during half-time, parading the message ‘In the joy of others lies our own’, which was the life maxim of the former spiritual leader of BAPS, His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj.

The Community Engagement Officer for Preston North End, Mohammed Patel said ‘It was our absolute pleasure to invite you and your group. It’s been a lovely week coming to the temple and seeing your group take penalties’.