The first pillar of the Abu Dhabi BAPS Hindu temple placed

Abu Dhabi: United Arab Emirates (UAE) ministers and Indian officials participated in the ceremony of the first marble pillar of the temple under construction in Abu Dhabi.

On Tuesday, September 13, the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi took to Twitter and shared on images of the ceremony where the Indian Ambassador to the UAE Sunjay Sudhir was also present.

UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi; Dr Mugheer Khamis Al Khaili, chairman of the Department of Community Development in Abu Dhabi, and Dr Tayeb A Kamali, director general for Education and Training Development at the Ministry of Interior, and others participated. 

More than 1,000 community members attended to thank the UAE leadership and the Indian government for their ongoing support and guidance.

On Tuesday, September 8, special mahapuja was offered for the first marble pillar of the temple. Ishwarcharan Swami, a senior priest and international convenor of the BAPS flew in from India to perform the puja (prayer).

Ishwarcharan Swami shared that the mandir would inspire generations of visitors and because of its timeless carvings and the fact that it is located in Abu Dhabi, the mandir will forever be one of a kind.

The temple is being constructed at the cost of Dirhams 45 crore (about Rs. 888 crores) in Abu Dhabi on behalf of Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), a resident of Bochasan. The temple is being built on an area of 27 acres in Abu Muraikhah of Abu Dhabi.

It was announced by the UAE government in 2015 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi went on a two-day visit.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the UAE, had allotted 20,000 square meters of land to build a temple.

The foundation stone of the temple was laid by PM Modi during his tour of Dubai in 2018 through video conferencing from the opera house there. 

More than 3,000 people, including hundreds of skilled artisans, are involved in the construction.

The temple design to be built in Abu Dhabi was prepared earlier on the model of the Akshardham temple in New Delhi. The front of the temple is decorated with stone carvings depicting scenes from Hindu mythology and stories. The temple is built using carved pillars from India in a traditional design. At present, the foundation works of the main building have been completed.

The temple will have seven spires and five domes. The complex will have a meeting centre, prayer hall, library, classroom, community centre, halls, amphitheatre, play area, gardens, books, gift shops, food court and other facilities. It is scheduled to open in February 2024.

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