Spiritual salutes as royals mark temple's 30 years

THE King and Queen wore elaborate flower garlands as they helped celebrate the 30th anniversary of a landmark Hindu temple with worshippers yesterday.

- By Emily Ferguson Royal Editor

Cheers..children waving at the royals

Charles and Camilla were touring Neasden Temple in West London, where they watched spiritual ceremonies and learned more about the faith.

They were welcomed by applause and garlanded with roses and carnations by priests.

The royals also had sacred threads, nada chadi, tied around their right wrists "to show our bonds remain ever sweet".

It was the King's fourth visit to the temple since 1996, the year after it opened.

The stone building, formally called BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, stretches to 102,018 sq feet and was the largest outside India when it was built.