PM Modi inaugurates grand BAPS Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi

The first Hindu temple in the United Arab Emirates, Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 14.

Prime Minister Modi prayed inside the temple before the opening, after offering water in the Yamuna and Ganga virtual rivers on the temple grounds.

[{"selector":"#anim-822e822e-eaf7-4feb-8ad7-d3ed1fd88898 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-53.516723736508354%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}]

“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.

[{"selector":"#anim-3d23d1a4-a7f9-4573-9dbe-c64c26dfab2e [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(39.73901363138156%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}]

Situated on a 27-acre plot in Abu Dhabi, the pink sandstone temple is among the biggest in the Middle East. Although the UAE's official religion is Islam, over 3.6 million Indian workers live there.

Members of the affluent Ambani family, Bollywood celebrities, and representatives of the Indian government were on the guest list for the temple's inaugural event. There were also senior Abu Dhabi authorities present.

It is a very significant day for the Indian community, according to former Indian Ambassador to the UAE Navdeep Suri, who also noted that it has been a requirement for them on a spiritual and religious level.