New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday inaugurated the first Hindu stone temple, BAPS Mandir, in Abu Dhabi. Earlier today, the consecration ceremony of the BAPS Hindu Temple in Abu Dhabi was held ahead of its inauguration.
Following the inauguration, PM Modi offered prayers at the temple.
He arrived in Abu Dhabi for his official visit to the United Arab Emirates from February 13 to 14. This is the prime minister's seventh visit to the UAE since 2015 and the third in the last eight months.
He also inscribed the message of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' on a stone, at the BAPS Hindu temple.
Modi on Wednesday inaugurated the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) Mandir, the first Hindu stone temple in Abu Dhabi.
During his address at 'Ahlan Modi', diaspora event, PM Modi thanked UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for giving approval for the BAPS Hindu Mandir, saying that it reflects his love and respect for India.
Expressing gratitude for the BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi, PM Modi said that this couldn't have been possible without his love and support.
The BAPS Hindu Mandir, located in Abu Mureikhah, near Al Rahba off the Dubai-Abu Dhabi Sheikh Zayed Highway, has come up on around 27 acres of land in Abu Dhabi and the work for the structure has been going on since 2019, reported PTI.
The land for the temple was donated by the UAE government.
The UAE has three other Hindu temples that are located in Dubai. The BAPS temple, spread over a large area with stone architecture, will be the largest of all in the Gulf region, as per the PTI report.
He thanked the UAE President for his support and his graciousness in granting the land for the construction of a Hindu temple
"The land for the temple was donated by the UAE government. The construction of the BAPS temple would not have been possible without your support," he said, as per PTI.