Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the BAPS Mandir, the first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi, marking the end of his visit to the UAE. The inauguration of the BAPS temple, built for Rs 700 crore, is being perceived as a crucial moment for the Hindu community in UAE and for the relations between the two countries.
Here are interesting facts about the temple
The external wall of the mandir uses pink sandstone from Rajasthan.The mandir interior boasts of Italian marble with two central domes – ‘The Dome of Harmony’ and ‘The Dome of Peace’.
In 2015, then-crown prince and current UAE President, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, gifted 13.5 acres of land for building the first temple in the UAE. In 2019, he gifted an extra 13.5 acres.
It is a historic marvel which is spread over a 27-acre piece of land and has a towering presence at 108 feet.
The temple encapsulates the idea of communal harmony – A Muslim king donated land for a Hindu Mandir, where the main architect is a Catholic Christian, the Project Manager is a Sikh, the Foundational designer is a Buddhist, the construction company is a Parsi group, and the director is a Jain.
No iron or steel was used in building the temple. Various types of pillars can be seen in the temple like circular, and hexagonal.
The Mandir boasts of modern, minimalistic and monolithic architecture. Its 7 spires are symbolic of the seven emirates of the UAE.
It comprises numerous new technologies, including 300 earthquake sensors, which help to reduce damage in emergencies. Indian labourers from Rajasthan and Gujarat have contributed for over five years to building the magnificent temple.
The splendid architecture of the temple represents the 15 tales from India, including the Ramayana and Mahabharata, but also comprises the stories of Aztec, Egyptian, Chinese, European, Arabic and African civilizations.
The massive temple is surrounded by an artificial river that has been carved using the holy water of the Ganga and Yamuna rivers.
The cost of the construction of the temple is estimated at around 400 million United Arab Emirates dirhams, as per reports.
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