PM Modi performs aarti at BAPS Mandir in Abu Dhabi (WATCH)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who arrived in the United Arab Emirates on a two-day trip on Tuesday, inaugurated the BAPS Mandir today, a stunning architectural marvel which is Abu Dhabi's first Hindu temple.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the sprawling Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi, built by the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha or the BAPS society, on Wednesday. PM Modi also offered prayers at the temple, accompanied by priests.

The consecration of the temple was completed on Wednesday before PM Modi's inauguration event. This will be the first Hindu stone temple in Abu Dhabi, constructed on 27 acres of land, with a distinctive combination of UAE identity and Indian culture.

He was welcomed by BAPS' Ishwarcharandas Swami and garlanded by a group of priests upon his arrival. People gathered for the occasion also raised "Modi, Modi" slogans and he waved towards them.

The focal point of his brief two-day visit to the Gulf nation is the inauguration of the BAPS Mandir, which is the second big Hindu temple to be inaugurated in the UAE.

The BAPS Mandir is situated along the Dubai-Abu Dhabi Sheikh Zayed Highway in Abu Mureikhah, close to Al Rahba. Its construction began in 2019 and it now occupies around 27 acres in Abu Dhabi. Work on its framework began then.

The UAE government provided the land for the shrine. Three Hindu temples may be found in Dubai, but the BAPS temple, which has stone construction, will be the biggest in the Gulf.