The first Hindu stone temple in Abu Dhabi, dedicated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this month, will welcome visitors on March 1st, the temple’s officials have informed.
The temple, which was constructed for over Rs 700 crore, is open to the public six days a week, excluding Mondays, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Built by the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) Swaminarayan Sanstha, the temple is situated in Abu Mureikhah near Al Rahba on a spacious 27-acre plot of land that is easily accessible from the Dubai-Abu Dhabi Sheikh Zayed Highway.
On February 14, PM Modi dedicated the huge temple in front of more than 5,000 invited guests.
VIP visitors and abroad devotees who pre-registered were allowed entry to the shrine from February 15 to February 29.
The temple was built in the Nagara architectural style, akin to the recently dedicated Ram Temple in Ayodhya, utilizing 18 million bricks and 1.8 lakh cubic meters of Rajasthani sandstone. Three other Hindu temples are already located in Dubai, however the BAPS Hindu Mandir is currently the biggest in the entire Gulf region.
The architecture of the stone temple includes carvings of camels and the national bird, the falcon, to represent the host nation, as well as seven spires, which stand for the seven Emirates of the United Arab Emirates. “The seven spires have idols of deities, including Lord Ram, Lord Shiv, Lord Jagannath, Lord Krishna, Lord Swaminarayan (considered a reincarnation of Lord Krishna), Tirupati Balaji, and Lord Ayyappa,” Swami Brahmaviharidas, head of BAPS’s foreign affairs, had told PTI.
The seven shikhars stand in for the seven United Arab Emirates. The falcon, the national bird of the United Arab Emirates, is featured in the temple’s design along with other creatures that are important to Indian mythology, such as elephants, camels, and lions, to guarantee that the host nation is equally represented. The temple tells stories from fifteen different civilizations, including Mayan, Aztec, Egyptian, Arabic, European, Chinese, and African, in addition to the Ramayana and Mahabharata.
The “Dome of Peace” and the “Dome of Harmony” are two ghumats (domes) within the temple, along with twelve samrans (dome-like structures) and 402 pillars. The exterior walls of the temple are built of sandstone that is brought from India. Holy water from the Ganga and Yamuna flows on either side of the shrine; the water was transported from India in enormous containers. The public can also use the visitor’s center, prayer halls, library, classroom, garden, and stores.
(With inputs from agencies)
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