The iconic Wembley Stadium in London, the largest stadium in the UK and home of the England national football team, honoured His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj by lighting its arch in orange on the evening of 7 December 2022, Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s birth anniversary.
Wembley Stadium is a neighbour and longstanding partner of BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, London, which Pramukh Swami Maharaj created.
The stadium also displayed messages on its giant front-facing LED screen paying tribute to Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s inspiring life and work, including his role as a “global ambassador of peace and harmony”.
This contribution has added to the international year-long celebrations of Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s centennial birth anniversary.
Members of the Football Association (FA), headquartered at Wembley Stadium, recently
visited the Mandir during the special Diwali and Hindu new Year celebrations marking Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s birth centenary.
In a tweet, Dar Singh Darroch, Head of Diversity & Inclusion Programmes at the FA, said it was a “wonderful gesture for our neighbours @NeasdenTemple on the 100th birth anniversary of Pramukh Swami Maharaj”, calling it a good example of “Faith and football coming together for good.”
Girish Patel, a trustee at the Mandir, explained, “The Mandir is as an integral part of the local community in north-west London, and Wembley Stadium is not only a partner but a dear friend of the Temple. The lighting of such a prominent landmark of London wonderfully reflects the illuminating impact of Pramukh Swami Maharaj on the lives of millions in London and beyond.”