Abu Dhabi’s Hindu temple to open in February 2024

A stunning marble and sandstone Hindu temple is set to open in Abu Dhabi’s Abu Mureikha area on February 10, 2024. First announced in 2019, this follows four years of meticulous work by artisans in India and the UAE.

Planned to be inaugurated as part of the ‘Festival of Harmony’, the public opening on February 18, 2024 will follow a week of inauguration-centered programming. People of all faiths will be welcome to visit the temple, the construction of which is being overseen by the Baps Swaminarayan Sanstha, an organisation that has supervised the construction of close to 1,200 temples around the world.

A post shared by BAPS Hindu Mandir, Abu Dhabi (@abudhabimandir)

Ripe in detail and religious relevance, the structure has been intricately carved by 2,000 artisans out of 5,500 tonnes of white marble and 14,500 tonnes of pink sandstone. With the main prayer hall already built on the ground level, the second level will feature seven towering spires, one representing each emirate, as a tribute to the UAE. The finished 32-metre-high structure will be decorated with more than 200 ornate pillars.

An ode to ancient construction techniques, the temple has been built without steel, iron or reinforced concrete. It instead adopts a layered compression technique, with granite at the foundation, pink sandstone as the next layer and finally, marble that adds structural fortitude.

The temple is located off Sheikh Zayed Road and is spread over 5.4 hectares of land given to the Indian community in 2015, by H.H. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE. The development will also include two parks, a community hall, a visitors’ centre, an amphitheatre, food court and majlis.

mandir.ae, @abudhabimandir

Images: Instagram

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