Inside the temple they entered the Prayer Hall. Musicians played tabla drums as The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh slowly approached the Holy Book, centrepiece of the temple. As the 500-strong congregation looked on, The Queen stood respectfully and bowed her head, while The Duke of Edinburgh clasped his hands together in a sign of greeting. They then viewed an exhibition to mark the 400th anniversary of Sikh scriptures.
After meeting groups of volunteers, welfare workers and carers, along with members of the local community who use Gurdwara, The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh moved into a marquee where The Queen unveiled a plaque to open Phase 2 of the development of the Temple. The impressive development, which will include new classrooms, a library, exhibition hall and recreational facilities, is a long way from the temple's humble beginnings. 25 years ago the Sikh community acquired their land in Hounslow and initially worshipped in a scout hut. The existing building was erected in 1992. Today, the temple has expanded to become a complex of marbled halls, large prayer rooms and classrooms where hundreds of third-generation Sikh children are taught. The development has almost entirely been funded by the local community, something which those who regularly worship at the temple are very proud of.

Jatinder Kaur, the temple's assistant secretary, said:"When we started out in the early 1970s we had to rent halls in the local school for our meetings. People would cook food at home to bring to the meetings. Now we have a modern temple with kitchens, prayer rooms, space for marriages and classrooms. Everything here has been provided by the community." The Temple  has become the hub of a thriving congregation of 2,000 people, and houses all kinds of activities, from a marriage assistance service to summer camps for children.