A temple used by many Harrow neighbours hosted an extravagant Indian festival which celebrates the birth of Lord Krishna.

The Mayor of Harrow, Councillor Ajay Maru went along to the event on Sunday, August 17 at the Bhaktivedanta Manor Hare Krishna Temple in Aldenham, Hertfordshire.

The serene and peaceful grounds were transformed into a festival and brought to life with the sound of music, dancing, stage shows and face painting throughout the day.

The Mayor said: “This is one of the most special days in the Hindu calendar and I am honoured to have been able to attend and celebrate the birthday of Lord Krishna with the thousands of people that attended.

"For many Harrow residents this is their local temple and I hope they enjoyed the festival which this year focused on the values of hope and peace which is relevant and important in today’s society.

It was also amazing to see how the grounds were transformed and brought to life by the thousands of volunteers who helped.”

One of the highlights of the festival was the recreation of the beautiful forests of Vrindavan in India where Lord Krishna played when he was growing up.

This year's festival also celebrated the values of hope and peace in the midst of extreme conflict and violence in the world.

Every year, thousands of volunteers give up their time to help transform the grounds for the festival, with the oldest being aged 94 and the youngest aged 16. It takes almost a month of planning to get Bhaktivedanta Manor ready for Janmashtami, hosting the largest birthday celebrations for Lord Krishna outside of India.