Inspired by British Jewry’s Mitzvah Day, the Hindu community has established its own day of good deeds.

Mitzvah Day founder Laura Marks and Board of Deputies vice-president Jonathan Arkush were among over 300 guests at a Stanmore temple for the launch of National Sewa Day, which will coincide with Mitzvah Day on November 21.

“Imitation is the greatest form of flattery and it’s great to know the Hindus want to do the same as us,” Ms Marks said. “This is a way of getting more people and communities involved. This shows there is potential to take Mitzvah Day to all the other religious communities, which is very exciting.”

Arup Ganguly of the Sewa Day co-ordinators was “humbled by the level of support that this idea has attracted”.

For Mitzvah Day 2009, over 15,000 people took part in 250 communal projects, from repainting school buildings to clearing scrubland.