The groundbreaking ceremony for the new BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Wellingborough (Northamptonshire) took place on Sunday 25 May 2008, in the presence of Acharya Swami and sadhus from London. Despite torrential rain, 300 people attended the Vedic ceremony.
The new mandir will be able to cater for the increasing activities in Wellingborough including facilities for young people to conduct classes and seminars. After the ceremony, an assembly was held in which Acharya Swami pointed out that the new facilities will help serve future generations as well as the local community.
Satsang began in Wellingborough in 1972 with a small group of dedicated devotees. Over the next five years, a property was acquired and a small mandir was consecrated by His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj on 30 July 1977. The community in Wellingborough has developed since then and the new mandir is being built to help address their growing needs.