India Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated United Arab Emirates (UAE) first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi, during his two- day visit to the Gulf nation. The temple was built by the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), a denomination of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya, a Vaishnav sect of Hinduism.
PM Modi inaugurates the grand temple on wednesday (Feb 14) in the presence of UAE's President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The temple is the epitome of communal harmony, a goal envisioned by both India and the UAE.
Beautiful confluence of religions: The temple is constructed on 27 acres of land, with 13.5 acres dedicated to the temple complex area and the other 13.5 acres allotted for parking which can accommodate 14,000 cars and 50 buses.
The 13.5 acres of land was gifted by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, 'a Muslim king,' for the construction of a Hindu temple, said a BAPS spokesperson. This temple special is the beautiful confluence of religions that led to it's construction.
The lead architect of the BAPS Hindu Temple is a "Catholic Christian, the project manager a Sikh, the foundational designer a Buddhist, the construction company a Parsi group, and the director comes from the Jain tradition", as per BAPS spokesperson.
With inputs from ANI.
THINK FOR INDIA