By BlogHear.com News Desk
Date: June 15, 2025
Memorial services and prayer gatherings are being held across the South East of England this weekend to honor those who died in Thursday’s Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, India.
In Gravesend, Kent, the Om Mandir Hindu Temple is hosting a special memorial on Sunday aimed at bringing the community together to grieve and remember the victims of the tragedy. Abnash Sareen, President of the temple, expressed deep sorrow over the loss.
“It was absolutely tragic what happened on Thursday. When I saw the news I just couldn’t believe my eyes,” Sareen said. “Even if you didn’t know the people who died in the crash, it is still extremely upsetting.”
Air India flight AI171 was en route to London Gatwick when it crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad Airport, killing at least 241 people. Only one person, a 40-year-old British national, survived the crash. A black box has since been recovered from the wreckage, which is expected to aid the investigation led by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau.
Sareen mentioned that community members began gathering at the temple as early as Thursday evening to mourn and pray together. “Many people, including myself, had tears in our eyes. We just couldn’t believe what had happened,” he said.
He hopes Sunday’s service will provide a sense of unity and healing. “We want to let people know we stick together during difficult times,” Sareen added.
In Crawley, West Sussex—close to Gatwick Airport—similar sentiments are being shared. Shyam Govinda of the ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) community told BBC Sussex that the incident struck particularly hard because of strong ties between local families and the Gujarati city of Ahmedabad.
“Many people are affected by it, our community especially because of the proximity of the airport to Crawley,” Govinda said. “There is a large Gujarati community here, many of us have family members and friends in Ahmedabad, so the tragedy seems a lot closer to home.”
A special prayer session will be held at 17:00 BST on Sunday at the Bhakti Yoga Centre in Crawley, with attendance expected from members of the Indian diaspora and wider community.
As vigils and services continue in both the UK and India, community leaders emphasize the importance of collective mourning and support to cope with such a devastating loss.
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