Visiting the Bhaktivedanta Manor Hare Krishna Temple, Watford.

Have you ever visited the Bhaktivedanta Manor Hare Krishna Temple, Watford? Back in February 1973, a property known as Piggott’s Manor was donated to the Hare Krishna movement in by former Beatle George Harrison, after the Radha Krishna Temple in central London had become inadequate to house the growing number of devotees.

A mock Tudor Hare Krishna temple was the last thing I’d expect to see in the Hertfordshire countryside – but then there is the stunning Neasden Temple, a Wimbledon Buddhist temple and several mosques across London, so why am I surprised?

Harrison said he envisaged that the Manor would be a “guide to Krishna consciousness” and “a place where people could get a taste of the splendour of devotional service to the Supreme Lord”.

In the main house, a temple room holds most of the guests and shrines dedicated to Radha and Krishna, named “Radha Gokulananda”, Gaura–Nitai deities, and the third, Sita, Rama, his brother Lakshmana and Hanuman.

Slipping our shoes off and popping inside for a few moments of wandering, we didn’t want to interrupt any of the devotions, so continued our ramble outside in the 7 acres of gardens.

Peaceful perfection.

Dotted throughout the woods are deities nestled in tree stumps and devotional reminders.

Who needs to board a flight to travel? Visiting Bhaktivedanta Manor Hare Krishna Temple, Watford had been one of my favourite surprise things to do in London and it was almost completely by accident after during past the signs for years.