Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate Abu Dhabi's first Hindu stone temple today (Wednesday). The BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha constructed the temple on a 27-acre plot in Abu Mureikhah, near Al Rahba, along the Dubai-Abu Dhabi Sheikh Zayed Highway.
The structure's construction began in 2019 and the land for the temple was donated by the UAE.
An architectural masterpiece was created using donations from several regions of India, including holy water from the Ganga and Yamuna, pink sandstone from Rajasthan, and furniture constructed from wooden trunks used to transport stones.
The temple's exterior is adorned with magnificent marble sculptures against a sandstone backdrop, which were created by talented craftsmen from Rajasthan and Gujarat using over 25,000 stones.
According to Vishal Brahmabhatt, the site's procurement and logistics manager, more than two lacs cubic feet of 'sacred' stone had been carried in more than 700 containers for the temple's construction.
The temple complex is surrounded by structures that include prayer rooms, a community center for cultural events, a library, a children's park, and an amphitheater through which a stream flows.
There are three other Hindu temples in the UAE, all in Dubai. The BAPS temple, sprawled across a huge area with stone construction, will be the biggest in the Gulf region.