During his two-day visit to UAE, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the BAPS Swaminarayan temple in Abu Dhabi, the first Hindu temple in the Gulf nation.
Key points
- The inauguration of the 108-ft high temple marks a significant moment for the Hindu community in UAE, as well as for the two countries’ bilateral ties.
- The temple has been built by the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), a denomination of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya, a Vaishnav sect of Hinduism.
- The Abu Dhabi temple is a traditional stone Hindu temple with seven shikhars. The seven shikhars (spires) are representative of the seven Emirates of the UAE.
- Built in the traditional Nagar style, the temple’s front panel depicts universal values, stories of harmony from different cultures, Hindu spiritual leaders and avatars.
- The height of the temple is 108 ft, length 262 ft and width 180 ft.
- The 13.5 acres of land was gifted by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, ‘a Muslim king,’ for the construction of a Hindu temple,
