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Yogiji Maharaj in the UK: 50th Anniversary Celebrations, UK & Europe

14 Jun 2020

Mahendrabhai ‘Barrister’ Patel, pictured above with Yogiji Maharaj, and Purushottambhai Patel began Satsang in the UK in the early 1950s through the blessings of Shastriji Maharaj

In 1953, Yogiji Maharaj blessed Dahyabhai D. Meghani (L) to “go to London, and ensure to continue practicing Satsang”

Dahyabhai settled in London and hosted regular sabhas at his Leicester Square workplace with Chandubhai, Maganbhai and others, in which he would read weekly letters written by Yogiji Maharaj from India

In the 1960s, Navinbhai Swaminarayan, Prafulbhai Patel, Chittranjanbhai Patel and other arrivals from India and East Africa began conducting weekly sabhas at Prahladbhai's flat in Seymour Place near Baker Street

As Satsang grew, 1959 saw a constitution for the BAPS London Satsang Mandal registered as ‘Swaminarayan Hindu Mission, London Fellowship Centre’

Navinbhai Swaminarayan, through the blessings of Yogiji Maharaj, began Satsang sabhas in Manchester in 1964

The attendance registers of the regular Satsang sabhas taking place at the house of Chittranjanbhai Patel – 7 Manor Drive, Wembley, London – in the late 1960s

On 5 February 1970, Yogiji Maharaj along with Pramukh Swami, Mahant Swami and swamis embarked upon a 108-day tour of East Africa

During the East Africa tour, the devotees of London sent a heartfelt invitation for Yogiji Maharaj to grace the UK. Yogiji Maharaj replied that first a mandir must be acquired in order to give the visit purpose

Whilst in Tororo, Uganda, Yogiji Maharaj blessed the devotees of London over the phone to begin the search for a suitable site for a mandir. Jashbhai, Bhanubhai, Dineshbhai and Surendrabhai discussed the details with Pramukh Swami in Kampala, Uganda

Earlier in India, when asked to mark on a map of London a suitable location for a future mandir, Yogiji Maharaj marked a spot with a pencil, which, remarkably, contained the Borough of Islington

St John’s Baptist Church on 77 Elmore Street in Islington, London, was for sale with an asking price of £12,000. But this was proving unaffordable for the fellowship of a few, modest devotees. Yogiji Maharaj gave them strength to persist through an inspirational letter written from Kampala on 25 March 1970

Jayantibhai (Changa) was graced with a vision of Yogiji Maharaj assuring him that the price for the building would be lowered. The faithful devotees persevered and the church authorities agreed to sell for £9,500. Subsequently, on a historic telephone call, Yogiji Maharaj affectionately said he will grace the UK for the sole purpose of pleasing the devotees

Yogiji Maharaj and swamis land on a sunny day at London Heathrow at 4:40pm on Saturday 23 May 1970. He is welcomed with garlands of flowers from Apa Saheb Bhatt, High Commissioner for India in the UK

Yogiji Maharaj, seated between Pramukh Swami and Mahant Swami, was interviewed by journalists in the airport lounge

Jubilant devotees are lovingly blessed by their Guruhari in the airport

Outside, devotees excitedly line the streets to catch a glimpse of their Guruhari’s long-awaited arrival

Devotees euphorically carry Yogiji Maharaj out of the airport into a crowd of eagerly awaiting devotees

History is made as Yogiji Maharaj steps foot on British soil for the first time

Upon arriving at his residence, whilst swamis were readying his wheelchair, Yogiji Maharaj insisted on stepping foot on the ground, thereby gracing the road in front of 69 Ellesmere Road, Dollis Hill, with his holy feet

The innumerable memories and joy of this historic visit of 1970 made devotees fondly remember Dollis Hill as ‘Akshar Hill’

Arvindbhai ‘Guru’ Patel (L) bought the Dollis Hill house solely to provide accommodation for Yogiji Maharaj during the 1970 UK tour

Yogiji Maharaj on Ellesmere Road, Dollis Hill. During the visit, Pramukh Swami, Mahant Swami and six other swamis stayed at 7 Manor Drive in Wembley

On Sunday 24 May 1970, at 5:30pm, 500 devotees gathered at the recently acquired building in Islington for a welcome assembly

Yogiji Maharaj prophesied the global spread of Satsang from here and that devotees would increase three-fold causing the current hall to become too small for sabhas

From Monday 25 May to Friday 29 May 1970, Yogiji Maharaj blessed sabhas at Middlesex Methodist Church Hall in Wembley

Swayamprakashdas Swami, Pramukh Swami, Yogiji Maharaj, Mahant Swami, Narayan Bhagat and Ishwarcharandas Swami (L to R) outside Middlesex Methodist Church Hall, Wembley

Yogiji Maharaj performs his morning puja at 69 Ellesmere Road, Dollis Hill, London

Yogiji Maharaj performs his morning puja surrounded by devotees

Yogiji Maharaj’s puja

Yogiji Maharaj eating at 69 Ellesmere Road, Dollis Hill

On Tuesday 26 May 1970, Yogiji Maharaj in an evening sabha in the Islington hall prophesied that a traditional stone shikharbaddha mandir would be built in London

At noon on Wednesday 27 May 1970, David Blondi, a reporter for The Sunday Times, came to interview Yogiji Maharaj

Yogiji Maharaj during the interview

Yogiji Maharaj’s 78th birth anniversary was celebrated at Durning Hall Community Centre in Forest Gate, East London, on Saturday 30 May 1970, the first of five such celebrations in London

Tyagvallabhdas Swami addresses the assembly in English on the occasion of Yogiji Maharaj’s birth anniversary celebrations at Durning Hall Community Centre

The Garavi Gujarat magazine published a special 4-page supplement on Yogiji Maharaj

Yogiji Maharaj’s 78th birth anniversary celebrations continued at Porchester Hall in Paddington, West London, on Sunday 31 May 1970, the second of five such celebrations

Narayan Bhagat addresses the assembly in Sanskrit on the occasion of Yogiji Maharaj’s birth anniversary celebrations in Porchester Hall

Yogiji Maharaj addresses the assembly in Porchester Hall

On Sunday 31 May 1970, The Sunday Times published an article on Yogiji Maharaj highlighting his purity and saintliness

Yogiji Maharaj’s 78th birth anniversary celebrations continued at Brent Town Hall in Wembley, on Monday 1 June 1970, the third of five such celebrations

Hundreds of devotees gather to celebrate the birth anniversary of Yogiji Maharaj

Yogiji Maharaj wearing garlands of flowers offered by devotees during the celebrations

The youths lead the audience in heartily singing “Happy Birthday” to Yogiji Maharaj on his birth anniversary celebrations

Pramukh Swami addresses the assembly during Yogiji Maharaj’s birth anniversary celebrations at Brent Town Hall

Youths perform a traditional ras dance to mark the celebratory occasion

Yogiji Maharaj’s 78th birth anniversary celebrations continued at Lambeth Town Hall, Brixton, South London, on Tuesday 2 June 1970, the fourth of five such celebrations

Yogiji Maharaj arrives in the assembly hall and graciously sits on a specially decorated swing to fulfil the request of the devotees

Yogiji Maharaj, Pramukh Swami, Mahant Swami, swamis and devotees joyously clap along to the melodious kirtans

Yogiji Maharaj addresses the assembly at Lambeth Town Hall, reiterating his vision of Satsang spreading in London, America, Japan and throughout the world

Yogiji Maharaj’s 78th birth anniversary celebrations concluded in Islington on Wednesday 3 June 1970, the fifth and final celebrations

On behalf of the devotees, Prafulbhai offers two cakes carrying 79 candles

Yogiji Maharaj sanctifies the house of Chandubhai

Yogiji Maharaj departs from London for vicharan in the rest of the UK on the afternoon of Saturday 6 June 1970

Yogiji Maharaj travelled to Banbury, near Oxford, to sanctify Mukundbhai’s house

Mr Johnson, a photographer for the Banbury Guardian, is given vartman and a kanthi by Yogiji Maharaj in Banbury

Later that day, Yogiji Maharaj arrives in Leicester

Shortly after arriving in Leicester, Yogiji Maharaj travels to Loughborough for an evening sabha in Trinity Church Hall…

… after which he sanctifies a devotee’s home, and arrives back in Leicester at 11:30pm

In Leicester, Yogiji Maharaj resided at 323 Catherine Street, the home of Bhupendrabhai Bhatt

Yogiji Maharaj also graced a sabha in Wesley Hall during his vicharan in Leicester

Pramukh Swami and swamis sanctified 20 homes in Leicester

Yogiji Maharaj and swamis departed for Luton at mid-morning on Monday 8 June 1970, where they had lunch at Madhusudanbhai’s home and sanctified homes in the vicinity. The vicharan then began its last leg, to Kent, where Yogiji Maharaj resided at the home of Dr Babubhai Karia

On Wednesday 10 June 1970, Yogiji Maharaj resided at Thakorbhai’s house, 28 Kingswood Avenue, Surrey, South London

Yogiji Maharaj, swamis and devotees outside Thakorbhai’s house in South London

Yogiji Maharaj travelled to Islington on the morning of Saturday 13 June 1970 to participate in the pratishtha yagna of the upcoming inauguration

Pramukh Swami and Mahant Swami also participated in the pratishtha yagna on Saturday 13 June 1970

A public invitation is distributed to invite one and all to the historic inauguration of one of the first Hindu temples in the UK and the very first Swaminarayan Hindu mandir in the western hemisphere

Yogiji Maharaj departs in Jayantibhai’s car from his Dollis Hill residence for the nagar yatra on the morning of Sunday 14 June 1970

Yogiji Maharaj arrives in Central London to join the nagar yatra

The nagar yatra commenced at 9:45am with the Scottish Pipe Royal Air Force Band…

… followed by mahilas carrying kalashes on their heads in a traditional manner…

… behind which the main ‘Garuda Rath’ travelled, holding the murtis which were to be consecrated in Islington, London…

… followed by the car in which Yogiji Maharaj was seated, forming the end of the procession

The nagar yatra demonstrated the enthusiasm and joy of the devotees to thousands of passers-by and residents in the heart of Central London as the procession travelled from Hyde Park Corner to Embankment

After the nagar yatra, Yogiji Maharaj, swamis and devotees travelled to Islington for the inauguration ceremony

Yogiji Maharaj participates in the murti pratishtha ceremony in Islington

Yogiji Maharaj performs the final murti pratishtha ceremony

The Islington Mandir murtis were previously sanctified by Shastriji Maharaj in 1948 and sent to Prabhudas Lalaji in Kampala, Uganda

Yogiji Maharaj completes the historic inauguration of Islington Mandir, the first Swaminarayan Hindu mandir in the western hemisphere, by performing the arti at 12:22pm on Sunday 14 June 1970

Yogiji Maharaj in his first discourse at the newly inaugurated mandir affirms that Bhagwan Swaminarayan, Aksharbrahma Gunatitanand Swami, Brahmaswarup Bhagatji Maharaj and Brahmaswarup Shastriji Maharaj have graced London through these murtis

North London Press publishes an article on 19 June 1970 covering the inauguration of the Islington Mandir

On 19 June 1970, Pramukh Swami reads the first parayan, on the Vachanamrut over three days, at Islington Mandir

Hundreds of devotees listen to Pramukh Swami read the first parayan, on the Vachanamrut, at Islington Mandir

Devotees rejoice through a traditional dance to which Yogiji Maharaj claps along

Yogiji Maharaj revealed Pramukh Swami as his spiritual successor on several occasions during his visit to the UK in 1970

On Sunday 28 June 1970, Yogiji Maharaj travels to Putney Bridge with swamis and over 300 devotees

Yogiji Maharaj at Putney Boating Club, on the banks of the River Thames, reveals his desire to bathe Shri Harikrishna Maharaj himself

Yogiji Maharaj sanctifies the River Thames through bathing Shri Harikrishna Maharaj

Yogiji Maharaj, after discoursing in a sabha under a tree, sanctifies the tree by graciously touching his head to it

The Rath Yatra festival was celebrated on Sunday 5 July 1970 at Islington Mandir, where Mahant Swami and swamis prepared the decorations

Yogiji Maharaj performs the arti of Shri Harikrishna Maharaj in Islington Mandir on the auspicious occasion of the Rath Yatra festival

Yogiji Maharaj in London

On Monday 6 July 1970, Peter Langley of the Scotland Yard Department of Racial Problems meets Yogiji Maharaj again

Swamis travelled on underground public trains to reach devotees’ homes

Yogiji Maharaj in London

On Tuesday 7 July 1970, Yogiji Maharaj departed from London Heathrow for Mumbai via Paris, Zurich and Beirut. During the stopover in Paris, Yogiji Maharaj requested Pramukh Swami and Mahant Swami to deboard the plane and sanctify the land of France on his behalf

Yogiji Maharaj, at the age of 78, toured the UK from Saturday 23 May to Tuesday 7 July 1970, a total of 45 days for the sole purpose of providing the devotees unforgettable bliss and intergenerational memories

Yogiji Maharaj's visit to the UK featured in Encyclopædia Britannica's annual report book published in 1971