Abu Dhabi Hindu Temple Rising Like 'Lotus Blossoming in the Sand'

The Middle East's first traditional Hindu stone temple is emerging like a lotus blossoming in the desert of Abu Dhabi, said the spiritual head of BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha.

BAPS Hindu Mandir is rising in the Abu Mureikha area, off the Dubai-Abu Dhabi highway.

"In a very beautiful desert land, the temple is like a lotus blossoming in the sand. The temple is being built just like that," His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj said, at the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Robbinsville, New Jersey, US.

On February 18, 2024, the BAPS Hindu Mandir, which is being constructed under the direction of temple chief Brahmaviharidas Swami, will be made accessible to the general public.

The UAE government granted property in Abu Dhabi for the construction of a temple in August 2015. During Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the UAE, the land was given as a gift by the UAE President, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

The ceremony to lay the foundation stone took place in February 2018. The pink sandstone structure is expected to last for more than a thousand years.

Worshipers can download the Festival of Harmony app or go to https://festivalofharmony.ae for more details about the opening ceremony and registration.