The dream of a temple awakens in the Arabian dunes: The story of Abu Dhabi’s Hindu temple

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is going to inaugurate the BAPS Hindu Temple in Abu Dhabi on 14 February. It is the first Indian temple-style Hindu temple in the Middle East. Here’s the story of how this one-of-a-kind temple in the Middle East was built.

Here is the story

The temple is constructed using stones from Bharatpur and the carvings were done in Bhilwara, Rajasthan.

“At one time it was almost impossible to have a temple in this country, but now we will go to our temple and even ring the bell,” she says ahead of the inauguration of the first Hindu temple in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). ,

Nestled in the Arabian Desert, about 2,200 km from New Delhi, the BAPS Hindu Temple in Abu Dhabi will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 14.

On the day of his Abu Dhabi visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the Indian diaspora for its efforts to deepen India’s engagement with the world.

“This evening, I look forward to joining the UAE diaspora at the #AhlanModi event! Join us for this memorable occasion,” PM Modi posted on Instagram.

‘Ahlan Modi’ means Welcome Modi in Arabic.

This temple built in the desert is unique. It is the first traditional ‘Hindu stone temple’ in the Middle East. There are few other temples in the Middle East, and they are all not in the traditional Hindu temple style, but more like villas.

That is why the new BAPS Hindu Temple, located on top of a mound in the north-east of Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, is being considered a milestone in proof of the cultural harmony of the Arabic country.

Not only a cultural landmark, the BAPS Hindu Temple will also strengthen ties between India and the UAE.

PM Modi and Sheikh Nahyan paved the way for the temple

The construction of the BAPS Hindu Temple was envisioned soon after PM Modi assumed power in 2014.

“I am very grateful to the UAE government for its decision to allot land to build a temple in Abu Dhabi. It is a great step,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on Twitter after his two-day visit to the UAE. August 2015.

PM Modi was the first Indian Prime Minister to visit the UAE since 1981, where he met Mohammed bin Zayed, the then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai.

Following the visit, the UAE government allocated land for the temple during his visit in 2015. It was a historic decision.