Indian PM Modi to inaugurate Abu Dhabi's first Hindu temple in February

With agencies input

Thursday, December 28, 2023

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate Abu Dhabi's landmark Hindu temple on February 14, 2024. The UAE's first traditional hand-carved Hindu temple, located in Abu Dhabi’s Abu Mureikha area, off the main motorway between Dubai and the capital, will then open to the public on February 18.

The construction work of the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha temple or popularly known as the BAPS Hindu Mandir, began in 2019 after the UAE government allotted land to build a temple in Abu Dhabi’s Abu Mureikha area, in August 2015.

Swami Ishwarcharandas of BAPS, on Wednesday, met Prime Minister Modi and discussed Abu Dhabi temple's significance for global harmony and Modi's vision for India's spiritual leadership on the global stage.

Swami Brahmaviharidas showcased the latest update of the BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi, emphasizing its intricate carvings and all-inclusive grandeur, saying that "the inauguration ceremony will be a great event, a millennial moment of celebration for time to come."

To which PM Modi added, "It will reflect the ideal of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam - an ideal spiritual space, not merely rooted in beliefs and traditions, but a confluence of diverse cultures and civilizations. The essence of spiritual harmony, symbolizing the path forward."

The temple complex in Abu Dhabi features a visitor center, prayer halls, exhibitions, learning and sporting areas, ample parking, thematic gardens, a food court, bookstore, and gift shops. Thousands of hand-carved stone blocks were prepared in Rajasthan and Gujarat, India, numbered, and shipped for on-site assembly after foundation work.

The temple is expected to accommodate between 8,000 and 10,000 individuals of all faiths. The pink sandstone structure of a spectacular temple is expected to last over 1000 years. More than 2,000 artisans in India’s Rajasthan and Gujrarat states have carved 402 white marble pillars over the past three years.

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