This summer, the world-renowned Neasden Temple in London is delighted to bring together tens of thousands of people at the ‘Festival of Inspiration’ – a vibrant, ten-day multi-feature cultural event across a seven-acre site from 22 to 31 July that promises to light up the Borough of Brent with a fusion of sound, colour, and aromatic fragrances.
This iconic community gathering will celebrate the centennial birth anniversary of His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the creator of Neasden Temple and one of the world’s great spiritual leaders. He taught and lived by the ethos: “In the joy of others lies our own.”
Amongst the many attractions of the festival is ‘The Island of Heroes’, a fun, immersive experience for children to learn from inspirational stories of the past, present and future. Children will be able to learn from and enjoy games, stories, educational activities, animations and live performances. Younger children aged 8 and under can discover their own enjoyment at the onsite play area.
A large community stage will host live performances from a varied genre of arts, including dance and musical talent from across India. Here, local residents, as well as visitors from afar, will join together at the beating heart of the festival and be able to offer their own contributions to make this a truly inclusive and uplifting event, celebrating Brent’s rich diversity in harmony.
Inspirational life-sized statues, representing the rich heritage of India, and a mosaic of interactive displays will reveal an improved way of living through yoga and wellbeing, care for the environment, and family harmony. A series of interactive learning zones comprising shows, activities and presentations will offer a museum of history, reflection, and inspired living for visitors.
A festival is of course incomplete without appeasing the palate. The ‘Festival of Inspiration’ will indeed elevate the experience of food with a range of multi-cultural cuisine to captivate the senses. This culinary journey will be brought to life through live cooking demonstrations from esteemed chefs.
After meandering through the endless learning and cultural wonderland, visitors will leave not only with refreshed minds but an energised soul. This celebration of the values that Pramukh Swami Maharaj embodied will bring together people of all backgrounds, cultures and ages from this great borough for a truly exciting family day out.
