Abu Dhabi: A Hindu temple is being built in Abu Dhabi, and is the first traditional stone temple that is being established in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Members of the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) project claim that the temple will stand firm for a thousand years. According to media reports, the first phase of the construction of the temple has been completed.
Project members said that the foundation work of the temple has been completed. After arrival of the artisans from India, the installation of the pink stone will also be completed, Khaleej Times reported. People involved in building the temple also posted a video on YouTube revealing new things related to the project.
Religious leader and spokesperson of BAPS Hindu Temple Pujya Brahmavihari Swamy said that a thick layer of sandstone has been laid on temple ground located in Abu Mureikhah. Project structural engineer Dr. Kong Sia Keong told media reporters, “I am honored to be a part of this team as this is the first time a project is being worked on that will last at least 1000 years.”
BAPS organization is constructing this temple at a cost of 450 dirhams i.e. about Rs. 888 crore. The temple has an area of 27 acres on Abu Muraikhah. After the foundation works are completed, the temple will be formed by placing carved stones and marble on top.
According to a report by Gulf News, the final design of the traditional stone temple and images of the hand-carved stone pillar were released in November, 2020, which were made in India. Made by artists from Rajasthan and Gujarat in India, Rajasthan pink stone and Italian Macedonian marble will be used to build the temple.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the UAE, had given land to build a temple.
It was announced by the UAE government in 2015 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi went there on a two-day visit. The foundation stone of the temple was laid by PM Modi during his tour of Dubai in 2018 through video conferencing from the opera house there.
The temple will have seven spiers and five domes. The complex will have a meeting center, prayer hall, library, classroom, community center, halls, amphitheater, play area, gardens, books and gift shops, food court and other facilities.