NEW DELHI: BAPS Hindu Mandir Abu Dhabi in UAE, a traditional Hindu place of worship built by the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Abu Dhabi on February 14 next year.
The temple, nearing its completion, is located at Abu Mureikhah near Al Rahba off the DubaiAbu Dhabi Sheikh Zayed Highway. Its inauguration will come close on the heels of the Ram Temple inaugural, which will be done by PM Modi in Ayodhya on January 22.
The Abu Dhabi temple will be the first traditional Hindu temple in the whole of the Middle East. It promises to be a splendid addition to the UAE’s architectural wealth.
“It would create an enthralling tapestry whereby traditional, old stone buildings would sit peacefully beside modern contemporary structures, each telling a distinct tale of design, purpose, and cultural evolution. This is an example of harmony,” said media reports in the UAE.
The temple, inspired by Pramukh Swami Maharaj and blessed by Mahant Swami Maharaj, incorporates all aspects and features of a traditional Hindu temple as part of a fully functional, social, cultural, and spiritual complex, the reports added.
The UAE Government had announced the decision to provide land for building the temple in Abu Dhabi during PM Modi’s first official visit to the country in August 2015.
BAPS representatives had met Sheikh Mohamed and PM Modi in the Presidential Palace and a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed in the presence of the entire royal family on February 10, 2018. The foundation stone laying ceremony took place the next day.
The temple will have idols coming from North, South, West, and East of India. Once completed, it will be a testament to the enduring relationship between India and the UAE. The temple will have seven spires honouring the seven emirates of the UAE, namely, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al-Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah, and Fujairah.
The temple is being constructed with pink sandstone from the best quarries in Rajasthan, along with white marble as the main stones sourced from Italy. The carving procedures have been done at designated sites in Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Odisha and have been meticulously crafted by skilled heritage artisans working exclusively for the temple project.
