Brentwood Preparatory School Magazine

Neasden Temple I really enjoyed visiting the Mandir it was very different and was a new experience. When I saw it I thought WOW and when I walked in the first thing that caught my senses was the smell of the incense, it was so nice. When we went into the talk I was really surprised that it was built mostly by volunteers! Then we went into the Arti ceremony and the dome was beautifully engraved with all sorts of designs and so were the pillars. After that we saw all the gods and they were really colourful and full of life. When we went outside the view was extraordinary. Overall I really enjoyed the trip. It was really fun and I would definitely visit the Neasden Mandir again! By Sophia Jones Wow! As I stepped in to the magnificent and intricate temple I was amazed at the beautiful designs that were enclosed in this religious building. I later found out that this spectacular building was just made from limestone, marble and a lot of hard work. All the careful designs were hand crafted by 1,500 people. That may seem like a lot of people but compared to the massive building and all the carvings that they had to do it isn’t actually too many people. Now thinking about it, it’s no wonder it took three years to complete. On arrival we had to take our shoes of in the Mandir (temple) to show respect. First we watched a presentation on the temple and started to know this wonderful place. Later we made our way to the Arti ceremony. We walked into the room and there was a special atmosphere. There was a lot of lovely Hindu music. When it started the curtains at the front opened which revealed shrines. Then people around us started praying and someone in the front of the shrines started to wave a special candle while a priest sang. When It was finished we got to look at of the beautiful shrines. After the special ceremony we got to look at the Murtls. They were beautifully dressed. It’s the priest’s job to wash and dress the statues every day. We then went downstairs to the understanding Hinduism Exhibition. We also got a booklet asking us lots of questions. That sent us whizzing around to find the answers. I loved our trip to Neasden Temple and this was definitely a trip which I will never forget. By Faris Fahal Brentwood School Preparatory 67 A Fly on the Wall - Year Six