Work on UAE's first traditional Hindu temple reviewed

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs, recently met Swami Brahmaviharidas, head of the BAPS Hindu Mandir to review progress on the construction of the traditional sandstone temple.

During the meeting held in Sheikh Abdullah’s palace, other top representatives of the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, the organisation building the Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi, were also present.

The Sanstha, in a statement, said that during an hour-long meeting, discussions covered a diverse spectrum of key international issues and current affairs, “encapsulating the essence of their shared values, emphasising the imperative need of fostering harmony, nurturing tolerance, and advancing global peace”.

Swami Brahmaviharidas expressed his gratitude to Sheikh Abdullah on behalf of His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj and BAPS worldwide for personally encouraging and overseeing the development of the temple.

The Sanstha said that Sheikh Abdullah specifically asked about the seven spires, the carvings of the flora and fauna, and the dimensions and scale of the temple. The minister is said to be impressed by the remarkable progress achieved in the construction of the temple, which will be made open to the public next year.

Sheikh Abdullah noted that “this project is very special, and its message of global harmony should not end here and now, it should not be limited to the civilisational carvings, but should spread across the world, across space and time.”

Also present in the meeting were Omar Saif Ghobash, Assistant Minister for Culture and Public Diplomacy in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and members of the minister’s staff.

The region’s first traditional sandstone Hindu temple is taking shape on a massive 27-acre land. While the external facade features pink sandstone from the Indian state of Rajasthan, interior will be done using Italian marble. The temple, with more than 25,000 stones, is being built according to the Hindu ‘Shilpa Shastras’ – ancient Indian architecture. Arabian, Mayan, Greek and other cultural tales that encourage peace, tolerance, and harmony have been immortalised in stone on the facade.

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