King Charles III, Queen Camilla Celebrate 30th Anniversary of London's Neasden Hindu Temple

King Charles III and Queen Camilla visited the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir (Neasden Temple) in London on Oct. 29 to mark its 30th anniversary, an event that coincided with Diwali and the Hindu New Year and celebrated Europe’s first traditional Hindu stone temple, opened in 1995. They received a traditional welcome—removing shoes, being garlanded with flowers and pearls, and having sacred nadachadi threads tied by Head Priest Sadhu Yogvivekdas Swami—observed the abhishek ceremony and a petal-offering by an 11‑year‑old worshipper, and the King offered a “belated Happy Diwali.” The couple toured the intricately carved marble and limestone temple (hand‑carved in India and assembled in London), met volunteers and community representatives, and were briefed on the Mandir’s charitable work and partnerships, including with The Felix Project and Women of the World (WoW). Temple leaders framed the visit as reflecting a longstanding friendship—the King’s fourth visit to the Mandir (previous visits in 1996, 2001 and 2009)—and the engagement was shared widely by the Royal Family’s social channels and covered by news agencies. The visit prompted mixed reactions online, with many praising the celebration of faith and community service while others questioned the monarch visiting a place of a different faith.