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14/02/24 14:25 PM IST

PM Modi to inaugurate BAPS temple in UAE

In News
  • During his two-day visit to UAE, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the BAPS Swaminarayan temple in Abu Dhabi, the first Hindu temple in the Gulf nation.
BAPS
  • The temple has been built by the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), a denomination of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya, a Vaishnav sect of Hinduism.
  • BAPS has a network of around 1,550 temples across the world, including the Akshardham temples in New Delhi and Gandhinagar, and Swaminarayan temples in London, Houston, Chicago, Atlanta, Toronto, Los Angeles, and Nairobi.
  • It also runs 3,850 centres and 17,000 weekly assemblies globally.
Features
  • The Abu Dhabi temple is a traditional stone Hindu temple with seven shikhars.
  • Built in the traditional Nagar style, the temple’s front panel depicts universal values, stories of harmony from different cultures, Hindu spiritual leaders and avatars.
  • Spread over 27 acres, the temple complex is on 13.5 acres, with a parking area of 13.5 acres that can accommodate around 1,400 cars and 50 buses.
  • The 13.5 acres of land was gifted by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the UAE in 2019.
  • The height of the temple is 108 ft, length 262 ft and width 180 ft. While the external facade uses pink sandstone from Rajasthan, the interior uses Italian marbles.
  • A total of 20,000 tonnes of stones and marble was shipped in 700 containers for the temple.
  • More than Rs 700 crore was spent on the temple’s construction.
  • The temple has two central domes, Dome of Harmony and Dome of Peace, emphasising human coexistence through the carvings of earth, water, fire, air, and plants.
  • A Wall of Harmony, one of the largest 3D-printed walls in the UAE, features a video showcasing key milestones of the temple’s construction. The word ‘harmony’ has been written in 30 different ancient and modern languages.
  • The seven shikhars (spires) are representative of the seven Emirates of the UAE.
  • Other amenities include an assembly hall with a capacity of 3,000 people, a community centre, exhibitions, classrooms, and a majlis venue.
  • Among the key architectural features are 96 bells and gaumukhs installed around the path leading to the temple.
  • These 96 bells are a tribute to Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s 96 years of life. Nano tiles have been used, which will be comfortable for visitors to walk on even in the hot weather.
  • On the top left of the temple is a stone carving of the scene of Pramukh Swami Maharaj envisioning the temple in Abu Dhabi in 1997.
  • No ferrous material (which is more vulnerable to corrosion) has been used in the temple.
  • The temple also has some special features, like a ‘holy river’ surrounding it, for which waters from Ganga and Yamuna have been brought in.
  • The river Saraswati has been depicted in the form of white light. A Varanasi-like ghat has been created where the ‘Ganga’ passes.
Significance
  • A Muslim king donated land for a Hindu Mandir, where the lead architect 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.
  • Gujarat, especially Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar, has recently seen increasing interest from and presence of realtors from the UAE.
  • Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, was the chief guest for the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2024 held in January in Gandhinagar, where PM Modi personally received him at the Sardar Vallabhbhai International Airport in Ahmedabad.
Source- Indian Express

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