Community visibly emotional during candlelit vigil for Air India crash victims
Faith leaders from the Hindu, Muslim, Christian and Jewish communities led the service on Saturday at the Siddhashram Shakti Centre in Harrow, north-west London, where 20 of the victims are thought to have previously worshipped.
One of the most emotional moments of the vigil came when Harrow Mayor, Councillor Anjana Patel, shared that two young girls had lost their father in the crash, just weeks after their mother died from cancer.
Their father, Arjun Patoliya, had flown to Gujarat to scatter his wife Bharti's ashes following her death.
He was returning home to his daughters, aged four and eight, when the plane went down.
'The saddest incident we have got here in Harrow is one parent had already died here because of cancer,' Cllr Patel said, as the crowd audibly gasped.
'The husband went to do the rituals in India and coming back, he was on board. He has left two little girls behind and the girls are now orphans.
'I really hope that those girls will be looked after by all of us.'
She added: 'Caring is the most that we can do at this hour.
'We don't have any words to describe how the families and friends must be feeling, so what we can do is pray for them.'
She also revealed how her sister-in-law's cousin had been killed in the crash.
Local councillors, a local MP and residents packed into the temple for the ceremony, which included emotional tributes, candle lighting, and a message of condolence from the King.
Bob Blackman, MP for Harrow East, said it was believed to be the highest number of British deaths ever recorded in a plane crash, with 53 UK nationals on board.
'When someone dies in illness or old age, we celebrate their lives,' he said.
'But when an air crash happens – completely unpredictable – people are taken away from us immediately, just like that.'
'We think of all those families sitting by the telephone, wondering if their loved ones were actually on the plane.'
He said the Gujarati community in the UK was deeply affected, with victims having links to Harrow, Leicester, Birmingham and beyond.
'The difficulty the authorities have already got is: who are they visiting? Which family members were they coming to see in the UK?' he said.
Councillor Hitesh Karia, who represents Pinner South ward and is a member of the temple's congregation, also shared the impact of the tragedy.
Speaking to the PA news agency, he said: 'It's nice that the local community can come together – the local support means a lot.
'Twenty devotees that come here have sadly lost their lives.'
'It shows there is a solidarity, and despite the high amount of diversity, we can come together when appropriate.'
The vigil was held at the temple led by Shri Rajrajeshwar Guruji, who previously told PA he knew 20 of the victims personally.
Many in the hall quietly wept as candles were lit by representatives of all four faiths.
'The only feeling left is sadness – we can't do any more,' Mr Guruji said.
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