BAPS Hindu temple inaugurated by PM Modi in Abu Dhabi visited by over 3.5 lakh devotees in 1st month

By Team Asianet Newsable | First Published Apr 3, 2024, 5:56 PM IST

Abu Dhabi’s first stone Hindu temple has been made in the Nagara style of architecture with 18 lakh bricks and 1.8 lakh cubic metres of sandstone from Rajasthan. Notably, the temple was accessible for only 27 out of 31 days as private prayers are conducted on Mondays, according to a spokesperson.

Within a month of its public opening, the first stone Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi had over 3.5 lakh visitors, according to temple officials. On March 1, the well-known temple that Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated in February to the public opened for business.

About 350,000 devotees and tourists came within the first month, with 50,000 of them coming each weekend (Saturday–Sunday). A temple representative told PTI, "It's important to note that the Mandir conducts private prayers on Mondays and is closed to visitors. This means that the complex was accessible for only 27 out of the 31 days in March."

He said, "Holy water from the Ganga and Yamuna brought from India is used to create the Ganga aarti, which is performed every evening from Tuesday to Sunday at 7.30 pm on the banks of the Swaminarayan ghat."

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On February 14, the magnificent temple was officially opened with a dedication ceremony that drew well over 5,000 invited guests. At an estimated cost of Rs 700 crore, the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha constructed the temple on a 27-acre plot of land in Abu Mureikhah, next to Al Rahba, off the Dubai-Abu Dhabi Sheikh Zayed Highway.

Constructed with 18 lakh bricks and 1.8 lakh cubic metres of sandstone sourced directly from Rajasthan. Abu Dhabi’s first Hindu temple has been made in the Nagara style of architecture, just like the Ram Temple in Ayodhya which was inaugurated earlier this year.

"Public bus service from the city has been started for weekends to allow visitors to easily come to the temple, as the temple is little on the outskirts and in the middle of a desert," the spokeswoman stated.

In 2015, the UAE granted land for the construction of an Abu Dhabi temple during Prime Minister Modi's two-day visit to the Gulf nation. Being the first Indian prime minister to visit this strategically important Gulf country in 34 years—since Indira Gandhi—this visit had great diplomatic significance. 2019 saw the start of the temple's construction. At least 3.5 million Indians labor in the Gulf, including the United Arab Emirates. The UAE government provided the land for the shrine.

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