Abu Dhabi: 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 February 14. He also offered prayers at the temple, accompanied by priests.
After the inauguration, PM Modi thanked UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed for “fulfilling the aspirations of crores of Indians”. Built on 27 acres of land, this will be the first Hindu stone temple in Abu Dhabi which features a unique blend of Indian culture and the United Arab Emirates’s (UAE) identity.
“If there is anyone who has the biggest and the most significant role in making this grand temple a reality, then it is none other than my brother His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed,” PM Modi said.
“The Government of UAE has not only won the hearts of Indians living in UAE but also of all 140 crore Indians,” he added. The sprawling structure has a prayer hall with the capacity to hold 3,000 people; a community centre; an exhibition hall; a library; and a children’s park.
PM Modi also announced that the UAE Vice-President has given a piece of land in Dubai for the construction of a hospital for Indian workers.
The temple’s facade features elegant marble carvings set against a pink sandstone backdrop, crafted from more than 25,000 pieces of stone by skilled artisans from Rajasthan and Gujarat. The pink sandstone was transported from Rajasthan.
The temple space also features stories from ancient civilizations — Maya, Aztec, Egyptian, Arabic, European, Chinese, and African — all captured in stone. Tales of the ‘Ramayan’ can also be found on the structure. The temple houses seven shrines, each dedicated to different deities hailing from the North, East, West and South parts of India.
“I am confident that a large number of devotees will come here in the coming times. This will also increase the number of people coming to UAE and people-to-people connect will also increase,” the PM said.
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World needs inclusive, corruption-free govts: PM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the world today needs governments which are inclusive and free from corruption. Addressing the World Governments Summit in Dubai, on the second day of his visit to the UAE, Modi asserted that his mantra over the years has been ‘minimum government, maximum governance’.
Stating that in the last few years in India, people’s trust in the government has increased, the prime minister said “they have trust in the intent and commitment of the government.”
