Gaury Das, President of the Shrine at Bhaktivedanta Manor, near Aldenham Naturally, my most favourite spiritual place is Bhaktivedanta Manor, the Hindu Temple in Aldenham, Hertfordshire, because for me I find great inspiration in rendering some menial service to God in this location. It reminds me of a holy place in India called Vrindavan, which is perhaps one of the holiest places for people of our faith. Vrindavan itself is not too much more than an old village on the banks of a sacred river called Yamuna. There's a great sense of devotion, a sense of God-consciousness and there's the informality of village life - I find all that here amidst the glorious English countryside.
 | | Gaury Das in the Shrine |
So, at Bhaktivedanta Manor you have this beautiful and important shrine situated on this estate with its mock Tudor house, which George Harrison of the Beatles gifted to our movement. The house is no more than a home really - probably home to just one family in history. But by having the shrine within this house, not only are we fortunate to have a magnificent work of art, but the house also has an absolute sense of home comfort too. Here you can worship God in a place where the love and the affection is flowing like you would expect to find within a person's home. I feel that the way things are set up here brings out the affection and love much more than in a place of worship where a sense of awe, veneration and reverence could almost stifle the heart of a person. | 
