WILLESDEN TEMPLE - A review of their 50th Utsav(celebration) and the trip in general

 Day of Inspiration: Lessons from Willesden Temple:

Its is remarkable what 60-70 swamis, 1200 volunteers,  31 sub teams and 19 leaders can produce.

Wow. It is rare to stumble across such opportunities like the one that I was presented with today. I'm truly grateful for the sheer amount of knowledge that was imparted on me, whether that was learning more about how Willesden temple was established or even simply the sheer respect and humbleness of the people that I encountered today. This experience was truly something else and made me realise so many things that I just simply wouldnt even have thought about if I decided not to come and go to my maths tuition instead.

Wow moments:

Murti with real gold framing/structure

Entering the main temple and doing Darshan to such beautifully presented murtis was a really nice experience. This frame around the white marble murti is made out of gold which is just crazy. Obviously, it would be so nice.  It was installed recently which really shows how far the temple has come.

The delicious Prashad:

Such amazing prashad.

The prashad was so good. From the kitchiri to the puri and chole to the maru bhujia, all of it, just thinking about it again is making me hungry again. The fact that you can have all of this for free shows testament to the temple's hard work along side the several dozen of volunteers infront and behind the scenes.

But more than that, on a more spiritual level, I learnt what "prashad" really is. The first answer that comes to many Hindu's mind is an "offering". But no, prashad is the "reward" that you get for offering your grace to bhagwan. Through this relationship of giving and then recieving, you can hope to build a stronger relationship with bhagwan, and a deeper connection.

Inclusivity:

Helping hands food donation programme

Special needs SEND support

Toilet facilities for the disabled. Something we could learn to aspire like. The other day an elderly women wanted to ask if we had measures in place for her differently abled daughter, which to be frank I had no clue if we did. 

We were given more sensory understanding by giving us headsets to show what a day in the life of someone that is autistic feels like. An experience which was surprising to find out more about at a temple. The fact that they were actually doing alot to help those not as fortunate was so eye-opening and defo something that we can take from them.

 A football club that had about 60% girls which is virtually unheard of. We learnt the story of a young 13 year old girl that was so inspired by how much HER PARENTS helped out at the temple. The fact that the PARENTS were so involved, and her brother was one of the main reasons for why she joined, as is currently a goal keeper at her club. There are teams for older people too, so Bikash uncle was quite happy, with a 50+ team. 

Similarly to what yog did before, they provide hot meals once a month to people. I feel like this is a crazy good initiative. Every few months or maybe even once a year, Yog could try and bring a bunch of people out, group seva is great for building and strengthening connections with each other. This could also be an opportunity for us to 

Encounters with some pretty cool people:

Sashibhai Vekaria is the co-founder of Vascroft Contractors Limited. They are a super successful construction firm and was actually responsible for the beam that is responible for holding the 1 tonne murti at yog. He has built several temples in London and abroad.

Manubhai is the owner of King’s Kitchens. He is a very successful entrepreneur and whats really special about him is he made his identity Chinese just so he could trade and work in china. 

Another person encountered was someone who serves the local community well but actually, whats most inspiring is that he still didnt forget about his roots, and holds a community hospital in Buuj where he helps girls and others with things such as kidney dialysis. The fact that he has done so much here but also looked after people back home really shows his devotion to our dharam.

History of the temple:

Started off as a church, and gradually grew bigger. What is quite cool is that they needed £10000 (which is alot of money in that time) for actually going ahead with the purchase) and no one, to this day, knows where the money actually came from. This resonates with yog and how we managed to buy a multi million project with only having 20000 in the bank. Interestingly, Bhaven used to travel an hour and a half to come here. Pretty cool to also see how Prit's "generation" were part of this temple and all the board of trustee's/founding members (big people) had made such deep and respected connections with the people at the mandir, and how much love there was for hinduism between their interactions.

How to reduce the amount you waffle in interviews?

In short use structures, there are plenty to research and Viju provided alot of really good advice. One structure is sps, situation, problem, solution. However, the structure you do really just depends on what kind of question is being asked. For instance, if it is personal try being more contextual etc. I also learnt different ways to brainstorm, by splitting areas to understand into different sections: specialisation. 

Viju recommended a book that Bhaven recommended to him when he was around my age, which is really nice. I hope to be in the same position in a few years and be able to pass down this wonderful knowledge myself.

Spirtual knowledge learnt:

"A journey of a thousand steps begins with one; but some of us are not starting from step one."

In the game of life, some souls carry forward progress from their past journeys. This is Yogprastha;  one who, in previous lives, had walked far on the path of spiritual growth and now, in this life, awakens quickly. Skills, wisdom, and understanding come fast not because they’re new, but because they are remembered.

Like our powerful archer Rama, born with steady hands and sharp eyes, you are not just gifted for no reason. You should use your gifts to others.

Remembrance comes with responsibility.

When Bhagwan gives you knowledge, when the universe aligns to hand you insight, it is adharma to hoard it, ignore it, or waste it. Knowledge is not for personal gain alone. The word itself, "A-Dharama" with the prefix "A-" meaning not. It is Seva, which meant to be offered, shared, and used for the upliftment of others. What I learnt most from this is to share what I know and be a good leader.

To hold back such truth is not just ungrateful; it is rude, irresponsible to the very forces that gave it to you.

So if you fell on the 18th level before, and you now blaze through the first 17 — know that it's not luck. It's memory. It's karma. But the test now is: can you avoid the silly mistake this time?

What can Youth of Yog can learn from this event and from the temple in general?

A young chap, about my age videographing


We were lucky to get front row seats in such a packed crowd to see the play version of the Ramayan;  the ancient epic that narrating the life of Ram, his exile, the abduction of his wife Sita by the Ravan, and his quest to rescue her, symbolising the victory of good over evil. The fact that there were so many crew members and about 20 people just on the sound was just crazy to me. 

The most important thing was that I could see parallel's with the kids from yog, we could host a mini version. The skills that the children in the play possessed/developed will be so helpful for their learning. Additionally, as shown through the photo, the camera men were probably around my age.

Funny moments:

Dhruvil, the main man himself, on the big screen

Summary:

1. Monthly group seva; such as free hot meals or donation drives given to people as we walk around london

2. Youth-led cultural events, like a mini Ramayan play or skits, to encourage participation and skill development.

3. Accessible facilities and SEND support to make the temple more inclusive for differently-abled individuals.

4. Mentorship from community leaders to inspire youth with stories of seva, success, and staying rooted in dharma.