Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Credit: PTI Photo
Abu Dhabi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the BAPS Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi, the first traditional Hindu stone temple in the UAE, on February 14, according to an official press release from BAPS Hindu Mandir.
Ahead of the grand opening of the temple on a 27-acre piece of land in Abu Mureikhah district, Swami Mahant Swami Maharaj, the spiritual leader of BAPS, has arrived in the UAE.
"Welcome to the UAE. Our nation is blessed with your presence. We are touched by your kindness and we feel your prayers,” Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Co-existence said.
In response, Swami Maharaj warmly replied, “We are touched by your love and respect. The leaders of the UAE are great, good, and large-hearted.”
The inauguration of the iconic Mandir will be celebrated through the ‘Festival of Harmony’ – a series of uplifting programs and community events focused on strengthening faith, mobilising community service, and inspiring harmony among people of all generations and backgrounds, the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) said in a press release.
For decades, Hindus in the UAE have nurtured their faith through weekly satsang assemblies, gatherings dedicated to prayer, spiritual discourses, and community building. These assemblies, further strengthened by regular visits of spiritual leaders from India, provided a sense of belonging and shared purpose. It was within this fertile ground of devotion and community spirit that the dream of a mandir truly blossomed, the release said.
A defining moment arrived in February 2018, when Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, generously gifted a plot of land, demonstrating the UAE's unwavering commitment to interfaith dialogue, the release said.
This gesture, further strengthened by Modi's launch of the project at the Dubai Opera that same month marked a historic chapter in interfaith relations, it added.
The visit by Prime Minister Modi will further signify the close ties between India and the UAE. This will be Modi’s seventh visit to UAE as the prime minister.
In December, Prime Minister Modi attended the COP28 Summit in Dubai, at the invitation of the President of UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Brahmaviharidas Swami, who has been overseeing the Mandir project under the guidance of Swami Maharaj, explained, “The BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi serves as a spiritual oasis for global harmony that celebrates the past and recalibrates the future.
"It is a timeless testament to the spirituality of His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj and the generosity, sincerity, and friendship of the leaderships of the UAE, India, and BAPS,” he said.