Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday inaugurated the majestic Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha Mandir, the first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The temple was inaugurated on the auspicious occasion of Basant Panchmi.
Upon his arrival at the temple premises, Modi was welcomed by BAPS' Ishwarcharandas Swami. PM offered prayers at the temple and performed aarti.
As the first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi, the BAPS Mandir has become a focal point of cultural and spiritual significance, drawing devotees from various corners.
Earlier in the day, the consecration ceremony of the BAPS Hindu Temple in Abu Dhabi was held ahead of its inauguration by Modi.
The priests conducted rituals before the inauguration. The PM arrived in UAE on Tuesday on a two-day visit and talked about the BAPS temple at the 'Ahlan Modi' diaspora event held on Tuesday.
PM Modi thanked UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for giving approval for the BAPS Hindu Mandir, saying that it reflects his love and respect for India and couldn't have been possible without his love and support.
“The BAPS temple will be an enduring tribute to the values of harmony, peace and tolerance, which both India and the UAE share,” PM Modi said in a statement ahead of his visit to the Middle East nation.
The pink sandstone temple sits on a 27-acre plot in Abu Dhabi, making it one of the largest in the Middle East. While Islam is the official religion of the UAE, the country is home to about 3.6 million Indian workers.
The guest list for the inauguration ceremony at the temple included Indian government officials, Bollywood stars and members of the billionaire Ambani family. Senior Abu Dhabi officials were also in attendance.
Former Indian Ambassador to the UAE, Navdeep Suri, said that it is a very symbolic day for the Indian community, adding that it has been a spiritual as well as religious need for them.
“I think it's a very symbolic day for the Indian community, for the large Indian diaspora that we have in UAE. For many years, it's been a spiritual need, a religious need for them. And I know that in 2015, when the Prime Minister came here for the first time, he put in a request to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, then crown prince of Abu Dhabi, that it would be nice if some land could be granted,” he told.
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