Prime Minister Narendra Modi has dedicated the first and largest Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi, a momentous occasion for the Indian population residing in the Middle East.
The BAPS Hindu temple, which is situated on 27 acres and was constructed at an expense exceeding ₹ 700 crore, is perceived as an indication of the strengthening bond between India and the United Arab Emirates.
Speaking after inaugurating the temple, PM Modi said in Hindi, “A golden chapter in human history has been written in UAE today. A grand and holy temple has been inaugurated in Abu Dhabi today. Years of hard work have gone into this temple and a long-cherished dream has come true. Bhagwan Swaminarayan’s blessings are also with this temple.”
Referring to the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22 the PM said, amid cheers, “A centuries-old dream was fulfilled. All of India and every Indian is still cherishing that feeling. My friend Brahmavihari Swamy was saying, ‘Modi ji is the biggest priest’. I don’t know if I have the qualifications of a temple priest but I am proud to be a priest of Maa Bharti (Mother India).”
Stating that every moment of his life and every molecule in his body is dedicated to Ma Bharti, the Prime Minister said, “The joy we felt in Ayodhya has been amplified in Abu Dhabi today. It is my honour that I witnessed the consecration of the temple in Ayodhya last month and this temple in Abu Dhabi today.”
The prime minister continued to extol his ‘brother’, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, as a ‘friend of the Indian community’ at the ‘Ahlan Modi’ event on Tuesday. He added that the PM had been instrumental in realising the ambition of building a state-of-the-art temple in Abu Dhabi.
“He has won the hearts of 140 crore Indians. It is my privilege that I have been a part of this temple from the time it was conceptualised to its inauguration. This is why I know that even ‘thank you’ is too small a phrase for his generosity and contribution. I want the world to see the depth of the India-UAE relationship,” PM Modi said.
The prime minister recalled discussing the temple with Sheikh Al Nahyan during their 2015 meeting, stating that the president of the UAE had immediately approved the idea and quickly made land accessible.
“When I came to the UAE again in 2018, I met Sheikh Al Nahyan and showed him the two models of the temple that had been prepared – one that was based on Vedic architecture and another that was a simple model without Hindu religious symbols – his thought was clear: he told me the temple in Abu Dhabi should be built with splendour and glory. He wanted the temple to not only be built but also look like a temple,” the Prime Minister said and then asked the audience to give the UAE President a standing ovation.
Three years after Sheikh Al Nahyan donated 13.5 acres of land for the temple’s development, Prime Minister Modi lay the groundwork. 2019 saw the start of construction following the earlier that year donation of an additional 13.5 acres of land.
The temple is situated in Abu Mreikhah, close to Al Rahba, and was constructed by the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS). On Wednesday morning, the idols’ consecration ceremony got underway at the temple.
Additionally, PM Modi took part in a “global aarti” (prayer) that was held concurrently at more than 1,200 BAPS-built temples. He interacted with members of other religions who contributed to the building of the temple and offered water in the Yamuna and Ganga virtual rivers before opening it.
Temple authorities said seven shikhars (spires) have been built at the temple representing the seven emirates that form the UAE.
“The seven spires have idols of deities, including Lord Ram, Lord Shiv, Lord Jagannath, Lord Krishna, Lord Swaminarayan (considered a reincarnation of Lord Krishna), Tirupati Balaji and Lord Ayappa. The seven shikhars represent the seven emirates of UAE,” Swami Brahmaviharidas, head of international relations for BAPS stated.
“The seven spires also pay homage to seven important deities, underscoring the interconnectedness of cultures and religions. Normally, our temples are either one spire, three, or five but the seven spires express our gratitude to the unity of the seven emirates. But at the same time, the seven spires enshrine seven important deities… The spirals aim to promote unity and harmony in the multicultural landscape,” he said.
This is PM Modi’s third trip to the UAE in eight months and his seventh since 2015. Following the temple’s opening, Prime Minister Modi departed for Doha, where he would meet with the leaders of Qatar. Following Qatar’s release of eight navy veterans from prison, which was viewed as a significant diplomatic win for India, came PM Modi’s visit to the nation.
