BAPS Mandir: PM Narendra Modi inaugurates Abu Dhabi's first Hindu stone temple

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated BAPS Mandir, a major Hindu temple and the first in Abu Dhabi, during his two-day visit to the Gulf emirate.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Abu Dhabi’s first Hindu stone temple on February 14, 2024.

He described this as a symbol of the shared heritage of humanity and thanked the UAE for scripting a new golden chapter of human history.

Speaking at the inauguration of the temple built by the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), the Prime Minister profusely thanked the President of UAE, Sheikh Mohammad Zayed Al Nahyan, for making the grand temple in Abu Dhabi a reality and said he has not only won the hearts of Indians living in the Gulf nation but also of 140 crore Indians.

Recalling the consecration ceremony of the newly-constructed Ram temple in Ayodhya last month, Modi said it was his good fortune to have witnessed the inauguration of the BAPS temple in Abu Dhabi.

Built on a 27-acre site in Abu Mreikhah near Al Rahba off the Dubai-Abu Dhabi Sheikh Zayed Highway, the BAPS temple is constructed at a cost of Rs 700 crore.

Dressed in a light pink silk dhoti and kurta paired with a sleeveless jacket and stole, Modi took a tour of the temple spread across a 27-acre campus.

Modi also participated in the rituals of a ceremony to dedicate the temple to the people prior to its inauguration.

Those gathered at the event gave a standing ovation to the UAE President as a mark of appreciation of his contribution to the construction of the temple.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi offers prayers at the newly inaugurated BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi, UAE.