‘Dream come true’: 30 days left until the grand opening of the Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi – News
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The long-awaited opening of the BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi, the region’s first traditional Hindu stone temple, is just a month away.
In August 2015, the UAE government allocated land to build a temple in Abu Dhabi. UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan gifted the land during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first official visit to the UAE. Construction of the iconic temple began in December 2019 and will be inaugurated through a grand ceremony on February 14. Modi accepted an invitation from BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha to inaugurate the temple.
Pujya Swami Brahmaviharidas, director of the BAPS Hindu Mandir, recalled that the ambitious project was conceived by the late spiritual leader of BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, Pramukh Swami Maharaj, during his visit to the UAE in 1997.
“This project is almost like a dream. I still remember the day when Pramukh Swami was in Sharjah and the sun was setting. And that’s when Pramukh Swami said, ‘Let there be a temple in Abu Dhabi, and let that temple bring countries, cultures and religions together.’ The dream has come true,” said Swami Brahmaviharidas, standing on the pedestal of the temple.
He stressed that the temple is a great example of “a spiritual oasis for global harmony.”
“The effort of the volunteers and artisans, the effort of bringing almost 700 containers with thousands of pieces of stones, and assembling them; the effort and challenges through the Coronavirus pandemic and the wars that have occurred; but the effort [to build the temple] has continued due to sheer power and spiritual prowess.”
The hand-carved pink sandstone temple on 27 acres of land is expected to last more than 1,000 years.
“There have been hundreds and hundreds of volunteers, 1,500 workers who have worked to complete the entire complex, hundreds of donors and countless community leaders who have come forward.”
Swami Brahmaviharidas expressed his joy upon witnessing the completion of the temple, which is the result of the generosity of the rulers of the UAE.
“This is a project that is bigger than a dream. It’s almost like a script written in the sky and now projected on Earth. It is beyond all our imagination,” added Swami Brahmaviharidas.
The inauguration of the temple, an invitation-only event, will take place through a Vedic ceremony led by Pujya Mahant Swami Maharaj. It will be open to the general public on February 18.
More details can be found by downloading the ‘Festival of Harmony’ app or visiting https://festivalofharmony.ae.
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