DOGRA HERALD BUREAU
Dubai [UAE]
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
The temple, built on a 27-acre site in Abu Mreikhah, near Al Rahba off the Dubai-Abu Dhabi Sheikh Zayed Highway, at a cost of around Rs 700 crore, is the first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi.
Accompanied by priests, the prime minister offered prayers at the temple.
Modi inscribed the message of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ on a stone, at the temple.
“The BAPS temple will be an enduring tribute to the values of harmony, peace and tolerance, which both India and the UAE share,” Modi had said ahead of the inauguration of the temple.
According to temple authorities, seven shikhars (spires) have been built at the temple representing the seven Emirates that come together to form the UAE.
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 Ayappa. The seven shikhars represent the seven emirates of UAE, Swami Brahmaviharidas, head of international relations for BAPS, told news agency PTI.
The spirals seeks to promote unity and harmony in the multicultural landscape. According to Swami Brahmaviharidas, the temple will pave the way for the cultural integration of diverse communities in the region.
In a bid to give equal representation to the host country, along with animals that occupy an important place in Indian mythology like elephants, camels and lions, the UAE’s national bird, the falcon, has also been included in the design of the temple.
The camel; a symbol of persistence, commitment and endurance, has been etched into the carvings of the temple while drawing inspiration from the landscapes of the UAE, said Som Singh, a stone artisan at the temple, reported PTI.
Apart from 15 tales from India, including the Ramayana and Mahabharata, stories from Mayan, Aztec, Egyptian, Arabic, European, Chinese and African civilizations have also been depicted in the temple.
While the outer walls of the temple are made using sandstone from India, the interior, made of white Italian marble, is adorned with intricately designed and carved columns and walls.
