New temple opens in Ashton, MP Navendu Mishra congratulates

A NEW Hindu temple opened its doors for devotees on Sunday (17) in Aston in Greater Manchester in the UK and the occasion was celebrated with much fanfare.

The BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir Manchester took nearly seven years to complete with contractors, worshippers and volunteers coming together to give wings to the plan of the temple.

The temple building was blessed by His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj, the spiritual leader of the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, in a Vedic ceremony. The group has a strong presence in Ashton due to their original place of worship on Russell Street which was first opened in the 1980s.

Guests from across the UK assembled in Ashton to witness the new temple’s inauguration.

The temple building was appreciated for the craftsmanship and sculptures inside.

Stockport MP (member of parliament) Navendu Mishra, who was present at the inauguration, tweeted about the opening of the temple saying, “Important day for the Hindu community in Greater Manchester and wider region. A new temple has opened in Ashton. Worshippers have spent the last seven years working towards this auspicious day. Thank you for inviting my family and I to worship with you.”

Mansukh Dhokia from the temple, who was elated over its inauguration, told the local Quest Media Network it was a special occasion and they had been waiting for this for a long time.

“To dedicate this place and get it open was very special. We’ve been waiting a long time for this. We acquired this site 7 years ago and we’ve been working hard to build this new, purpose built temple and community centre. It was a special day to have so many people come and celebrate with us over the weekend,” he said.