According to the mission, the Ambassador, Minister of State for Foreign Trade Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi; Dr Mugheer Khamis Al Khaili, Chairman of the Community Development Department in Abu Dhabi, and Dr Tayeb A Kamali, Director General of Education Development and Training at the Ministry of Interior, also interacted with the team. construction of the majestic temple.
The BAPS Hindu Mandir also shared images of the temple’s first marble pillar placed in the presence of the three Emirati officials. The footage also showed the officials carrying bricks for the construction of the mandir.
“Over 1,000 community members were on hand to thank the leaders of the UAE and the Government of India for their continued support and guidance. The ministerial delegation also took a memorable photo with the artisans creating this unique spiritual oasis of world harmony,” Mandir management said while sharing photos from the event.
In a statement to Gulf News, BAPS Hindu Mandir Chief Priest Swami Brahmaviharidas said, “The event was truly special as it celebrated the harmony of art, hearts and minds and further personified the love and affection between the UAE and India”.
Previously, special prayers were offered for the first marble pillar of the temple. Ishwarcharan Swami, senior priest and international leader of BAPS, flew in from India to perform the puja (prayer). “This marks the start of the next phase of the mandir and is a milestone in the progression of the mandir,” the temple leadership said.
“Swamiji also blessed the next level of the facade of the mandir and the start of the construction of the master plan on the auspicious day,” he added.
Images and a recent video released by management showed that the Mandir is emerging from the deserts of Abu Dhabi. With the foundations of the superstructure complete, the intricately carved stones now take their place in the formation of the traditional stone Mandir using ancient Hindu building techniques. The images showed the facade of the traditional stone temple rising up with intricate carvings that depict stories from Hindu epics and fables.
Scheduled to open in February 2024, the place of worship with seven spiers representing each of the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates is expected to be 32 meters high.
