The first Hindu stone temple in Abu Dhabi has holy water from the Ganges and Yamuna and sandstone from Rajasthan

Holy water from the Ganges and Yamuna, pink sandstone from Rajasthan, furniture made from wooden crates transporting stones from India – Abu Dhabi’s first Hindu stone temple is an architectural marvel built by It was built with contributions from different regions of the country.

The temple is scheduled to be inaugurated on Wednesday by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will preside over the ceremony.

The temple is flanked by holy water flowing from the Ganges and Yamuna rivers, brought from India in huge containers.

According to the temple authorities, an amphitheater in the shape of a ghat was built on the side where the Ganges flows.

“The idea was to make it similar to the ghat in Varanasi, where visitors can sit and meditate and mentally return to the ghat in India. When visitors walk in, they see two streams of water, symbolizing Sexually representing the Ganges and Yamuna rivers in India. A beam of light representing the Saraswati river will emerge from the temple structure to form the ‘Triveni Sangam,’ chief volunteer of the iconic temple Vishal Patel said.

The temple was built by BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha on a 27-acre site in Abu Mureikhah, near Al Rahba near the Dubai-Abu Dhabi Sheikh Zayed Highway.

The temple’s facade is set against a sandstone backdrop and decorated with intricate marble carvings made from more than 25,000 stones by skilled craftsmen from Rajasthan and Gujarat. Huge quantities of pink sandstone were shipped from northern Rajasthan to Abu Dhabi to build the temple.

Vishal Brahmabhatt, who is overseeing procurement and logistics at the site, told PTI that more than 2 lakh cubic feet of “sacred” stone has been transported in more than 700 containers for the construction of the temple.

“The pink sandstone was brought from India. The carving was done by sculptors there and the stone was renovated here. The craftsmen then gave the final shape of the design here,” he said.

The wooden boxes and containers used to pack the stones and ship them to Abu Dhabi have been reused to create the temple’s furniture.

Swami Brahmaviharidas, Head of International Relations, BAPS, said, “All the furniture placed at various places within the temple, including prayer halls, cafeterias, community centers, etc., are used for transporting items The boxes and trunks are made of wood. Stone. Every corner of the temple is full of Indian flavor.”

The temple complex is surrounded by a prayer hall, a community center for cultural events, a library, a children’s park and an amphitheater with a stream running through it.

Construction work on the building has been underway since 2019. The land for the temple was donated by the UAE government.

The UAE has three other Hindu temples in Dubai. The BAPS temple is spread over a vast area and constructed of stone and will be the largest temple in the Gulf.

Prime Minister Modi will begin a two-day visit to the UAE today. This is his seventh visit to the UAE since 2015 and his third visit in the past eight months.

During the visit, Modi will hold a bilateral meeting with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The leaders of the two countries are expected to discuss how to further deepen, expand and strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries and exchange views on regional and international issues of common interest.

The Prime Minister will address the Indian diaspora at Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi later on Tuesday. There are at least 3.5 million Indians in the UAE and they form part of the Indian workforce in the Gulf region.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from associated news agency – PTI)