Hindu temples outside India

This is a Hindu Temple, the site of a popular annual pilgrimage in Mauritius.

Photo: Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Hindu Temple, Neasden, London

The Shri Swaminarayan Mandir is the focal point of the temple complex, designed according to the Stapatya-Shastra, a Vedic text that develops Hindu architecture to metaphorically represent the different attributes of God. It is constructed mostly from Indian marble, Italian marble and Bulgarian limestone. The marbles and stones were shipped to India where they were sculpted by over 1,500 skilled craftsmen of temple architecture. They were then shipped back to London where the temple was assembled. The Mandir facility contains no iron or steel, a unique feature for a modern building construction in the U.K. Temple is specially noted for its profusely carved cantilevered dome, believed to be the only one in Britain that does not use steel or lead. The Mandir was inaugurated on 20 August 1995 by Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the spiritual leader of BAPS, the organization behind the temple.

The Mandir serves as a centre of worship. Directly beneath each of the seven pinnacles seen from the outside is a shrine. Each of these seven shrines houses murtis (idols) within golden altars. Each idol is treated like the incarnation of Godhead and therefore each deity is bathed, clothed, fed, and attended to each day by the sadhus (monks) who live in the temple complex.

Beneath the Mandir, there is the permanent exhibition named 'Understanding Hinduism'. Spread over 3000 square feet, the exhibition deals with the origin, beliefs, glory and contribution of Hindu seers and scholars in the fields of mathematics, astronomy, medicine, education and religion. The messages and information are presented through visual effects, paintings, tableaux, traditional art and craft, and 3-D dioramas.

Text extracted from The Shri Swaminarayan Mandir sources.

Photo above: Hindu Temple at Penang, Malaysia

Hindu Temple, Benalmadena, Spain

Hindu Temple, Benalmádena, Costa del Sol, Málaga, Andalusia, South of Spain, Address: Avda. de Gandhi, s/n 29639 Benalmádena (Málaga), Spain.

The temple, located at the Parque de la Paloma (Park of the Dove), has a total area of 1,993 square meters and is single story with five domes. It is a new Hindu temple built probably just before 2006. The deities in the temple are: Laxmi Narayan in the center, Radha and Krishna, Sita, Rama, Laksman and Hanuman, Durga and some others. It is a temple built by ISKCON.

Tourism Industry and Hotels

Starting from the last decades of the 20th century, there has been a tremendous increase in tourism worldwide. The number of people traveling and staying in hotels is the highest now compared to any time in history. More and more people travel now, not only on vacations, but also for business and professional reasons.

With the increase in tourism, hospitality industry too grew tremendously, and, not only the number of hotel rooms but the levels of comfort and modern facilities available in hotels also have increased as never before. For instance, there has been an enormous growth in Los Angeles luxury hotels following the growth of the entertainment sectors like film production, television, and other technology and finance based industries. Similarly, there is also a rush for hotel deals New York that has become the global center of banking, finance, and many other industries.

There are over 700 quality hotels in London, and the number could be well over a thousand if hotels below three star ratings are also counted. Still, as industry sources report, there is felt the need for more budget hotels London. Whatever may be the growth in hotel services, the customers seem to be asking for more, as sometimes rooms are just not available in many cities, especially during certain occasions like major sports events like Olympics, Commonwealth Games, various world cup events, etc.

This problem can be easily solved with a little bit of planning by tourists or corporate travelers. The first thing is to book accommodation in hotels of the desired star ratings so that last minute disappointment can be avoided. Most hotels are online now, but a better option will be using comparison sites where the rates for rooms and other services such as transportation, food and beverages can be compared before booking. They help the customers to save considerably too.

A major advantage in using hotel accommodation comparison sites is that you can always be sure about the quality of accommodation at excellent rates in most preferred destinations throughout the world. They only list hotels that meet their strict criteria for all accommodation providers. They also help you with providing information on customer service, last minute bookings, cancellations, and above all ensure the best services at the most competitive rates.

London: Swaminarayan Temple

London - Swaminarayan Temple, originally uploaded by Sharf Tonse.

Swaminarayan Mandir, London

Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Neasden, London

Shri Swaminarayan Mandir - Hindu Temple - Neasden - London, originally uploaded by nick.garrod.