Card and wallet

Card in plastic wallet depicting the Hindu leader Sri Swaminarayan. It was found along with other objects like pots, lamps and statuettes on the Thames foreshore. They were probably owned by individuals who had put them into the water for personal reasons. Hindus often place offerings into rivers during religious ceremonies, so it is possible that the Thames was used for this purpose. Swaminarayan was born in Uttar Pradesh in India in 1781, and during his life he introduced spiritual and social reforms to the country. He is regarded as the incarnation of God by his Hindu followers.