In a momentous event, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, inaugurated the Grand Hindu temple, on 14th February, thanking UAE and calling it the birth of a new golden age of human history. Mr Modi addressing the crowd said that this temple welcomes diversity and is open to people across all faiths and culture. The temple bears a symbol of humanity.
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The newly inaugurated grand Hindu temple, in Abu Dhabi, UAE, holds a significant Mumbai connection, as it was constructed, by a Parsi organization. Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Sanstha (BAPS) Swaminarayan Sanstha’s temple, the Hindu temple is constructed by Shapoorji Pallonji Group of Mumbai. Shapoorji Pallonji Group, a real estate conglomerate owned by Pallonji Shapoorji Mistry, chairman of the group is a distinguished construction tycoon and is also a shareholder of India’s premier private conglomerate, Tata Group.
Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Sanstha (BAPS)
Formed in 1905, it is a sanstha within the Swaminarayan Sampradaya. BAPS preachers worship Swaminarayan as God. This sanstha has established more than 1200 temples all over the world. This temple is part of the distinguished Swaminarayan Sampradaya(a bhakti tradition which believes that God is divine) was founded by Sahajanand Swami in Gujarat nearly 117 years ago with five crore devotees. Swaminarayan Sampradaya is well known for establishing sacred Hindu places, i.e. temples of worship.
Consecrated by Mahant Swami Maharaj, 6th guru and president of BAPS on 14 February 2024, this is a traditional style Hindu mandir. Construction commenced in December,2019 on a 27acre long land, located at Abu Mureikhah, near Al Rahba, Dubai. This land was dedicated for the purpose of building up this temple by HH Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the current president of UAE. This is the third temple built in UAE, the first was built in 1958 while the second in 2022 and both located in Dubai.
Architecture of the Hindu temple
The mandir stands tall with a height of 108 feet and having a length of 262 feet. It has seven steeples symbolising the seven emirates in UAE and consists of 402 pillars. The artisans crafted this temple with the help of 25000 pieces of stone and the walls mostly done with marble sculpting and engraving. The marble was imported from Italy and the pink sandstone was brought from Rajasthan.
The carvings depict the ancient stories from Ramayana and Mahabharata and illustrations are done on the lives of Jagannath, Swaminarayan, Ayyappa etc. There is a dome demonstrating five elements namely, earth, water, air, fire and space named ‘Dome of Harmony’. A majestic waterfall has been built signifying the sacred origins of Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati. Apart from Hindu religion, stories from Egyptian hieroglyphs to stories from Koran and Bible have been carved as well.
Various Scientific Techniques
More than 350 sensors have been installed throughout the mandir which will provide live data incase any seismic activity like earthquakes, temperature and pressure changes etc. is detected. There are prayer halls, and learning areas as well. The Prime Minister highlighted the remarkable 3D experience within the temple which was the idea of the members of the Parsi Community. The temple is also built in a way that aims to reduce the carbon footprint. Madhusudan Patel, temple’s construction manager said that heat resistant titles have been used, with regard to UAE’s extreme temperature conditions.
Conclusion
The temple stands as a tribute to rich tapestry of Indian Heritage. “The Shapoorji Pallonji Group played a pivotal role in partnering with us to create this lotus in the desert, and bringing to life our vision of this spiritual oasis for global harmony,” said BAPS Director, Pranav Desai. He also commented that his dream of constructing a Hindu mandir in Abu Dhabi has finally come true. The temple will be open to the public on 18 February 2024.
