The first Hindu temple in the Middle East has been completed, according to the Shapoorji Pallonji Group. The Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi, personally inaugurated the BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi during a lavish event. This noteworthy achievement represents a historic turning point in the promotion of religious and cultural harmony as well as the development of bilateral ties between the UAE and India.

The Mandir, an architectural wonder, dominates the UAE’s sandy terrain. Thanks to the kind donation of land made by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi at the time, it is tucked away in 27 acres of desert territory on the outskirts of the city.

The BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, the organization behind various Swaminarayan temples in India and around the world, is the one behind the Mandir, which is accessible to people of all religions. It is evidence of India’s rich cultural heritage and its enduring prowess in sculpture and building. It was constructed strictly in compliance with ancient Indian teachings and was inspired by the lotus pattern. Its seven spires stand for the United Arab Emirates’ seven emirates.
In this project, Shapoorji Pallonji skillfully combined the traditional specifications of old Indian architecture with contemporary technology, such as air conditioning, lighting controls, and security.

To accommodate the more than 15,000 visitors every day, the temple complex features seven auxiliary buildings. Its unique water characteristics symbolize the Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati, the three main rivers. The largest single pour of unreinforced fly-ash concrete in the UAE is being used to build the main temple, which is supported by rafts. Glass fiber and bamboo sticks were utilized as reinforcements in place of iron and steel.
Based on this base, the temple façade is constructed using 1,80,000 cubic meters of Rajasthani pink sandstone and 40,000 cubic meters of Italian marble. The stones in Rajasthan were painstakingly sculpted by thousands of artists and volunteers on behalf of BAPS. After that, these were assembled in Abu Dhabi akin to a massive jigsaw puzzle.

Priyanka Dutta