Over 600 volunteers, from all over the city, came together to ensure the auspicious occasion remained organised and safe for the general public.
The £4million collected for the project was raised through various fundraising activities by the Swaminarayan community to ensure that the brand new mandir, which took around two-and-a-half years to construct, became a reality. The temple's media coordinator Sanjiv Patel said: "It really has been a labour of love and the visitors are saying that shone through when they saw the mandir."
The two-day festivities began on the morning of Saturday (October 8) with a Vedic mahapuja (mini-yagna) ceremony where devotees and well-wishers offered their prayers for peace and well-being.
This was followed by a colourful procession at 2pm, called the 'Nagar Yatra', which kicked-of in the heart of the city on Belgrave Road and made its way to the temple on Gypsy Lane by 5pm.
The murtis (sacred images and statues) that were to be consecrated in the temple the following day travelled on beautifully decorated grand floats with the vibrant procession filled with music and dance.
Kirit Patel, the mandir's lead coordinator said: "The mandir will play an important role in our society and we are absolutely delighted to see all members of our community come together and celebrate this momentous occasion with us."
The grand opening ceremony was held on Sunday (October 9) where senior sadhu of BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, Pujya Ischwarcharan Swami, released white doves as a symbol of peace. Along with other sadhus, he undertook the main ceremony of murti-pratishtha vidhi (sacred image consecration).
Peter Soulsby, Mayor of Leicester added: "I'm so delighted because I've watched the Mandir grow, and know how much it means to the community, how much energy and effort, and even how much money people have raised to make it happen. I think it's a great tribute to the community and is going to be one of the most important features of the physical and also the spiritual part of the city in the years ahead."
A local resident to the mandir, Katie Langton, said: "The temple is beautiful, it's something better to look at rather than the old factory that was there, I'm really excited by it and would love to see it from inside."
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