[News 18] Abu Dhabi’s New Hindu Temple Draws Massive Footfall: Over 350,000 Devotees Visit In First Month

The first stone Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February, attracted over 350,000 visitors within a month of its public opening on March 1. The temple, built by the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha on a 27-acre site in Abu Mureikhah, near Al Rahba off the Dubai-Abu Dhabi Sheikh Zayed Highway, cost around Rs 700 crore.

The temple, constructed with 18 lakh bricks and 1.8 lakh cubic metres of sandstone sourced directly from Rajasthan, is the largest in the Gulf region. It has been made in the Nagara style of architecture, similar to the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. The temple complex was accessible for only 27 out of the 31 days in March, with approximately 50,000 devotees and visitors each weekend.

Every evening from Tuesday to Sunday, Ganga aarti is performed at 7.30 pm on the banks of the Swaminarayan ghat, which has been created using holy water from Ganga and Yamuna transported from India. The temple also provides a public bus service from the city during weekends to allow visitors easy access.

The land for the temple was donated by the UAE government. The construction of the temple began in 2019. The UAE has at least 3.5 million Indians who are part of the Indian workforce in the Gulf. The temple’s architecture includes seven spires representing the seven emirates of the UAE, carvings of camels, and the national bird falcon.

Source: Conversation with Bing
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