Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday departed for his two-day visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in which he will inaugurate the first Hindu temple of the country.
During his UAE visit, PM Modi will inaugurate the first Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi which is set against a sandstone backdrop, crafted from more than 25,000 pieces of stone by skilled artisans from Rajasthan and Gujarat.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday departed for his two-day visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in which he will inaugurate the first Hindu temple of the country.
In his departure statement, PM Modi said he is looking forward to further advance India's comprehensive strategic partnership with the United Arab Emirates during his two-day visit to the Gulf nation.
After concluding his two-day visit to the UAE, Modi will travel to Qatari capital Doha on Wednesday afternoon.
PM Modi said he was also looking forward to meeting Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Amir of Qatar, saying the country continues to witness "tremendous growth and transformation" under his leadership.
The announcement on PM Modi's visit to Doha came on Monday against the backdrop of Qatar releasing eight jailed former Indian Navy personnel.
In Abu Dhabi, PM Modi will be inaugurating the first Hindu stone temple of UAE. The BAPS temple in Abu Dhabi features exquisite marble carvings set against a sandstone backdrop, crafted from more than 25,000 pieces of stone by skilled artisans from Rajasthan and Gujarat.
A substantial number of pink sandstone were transported from northern Rajasthan to Abu Dhabi for the temple. According to the temple authorities, 40,000 cubic feet of marble have been used to build the interiors.
Vishal Brahmabhatt, who supervises procurement and logistics at the temple construction site, told news agency PTI that more than two lakh cubic feet of "sacred" stone has been transported in more than 700 containers for the temple’s construction.
"The pink sandstone was brought from India. The carving was done by sculptors there and the stones were retrofitted here. Then the artisans gave the final shape to the designs here," he said.
The wooden trunks and containers in which the stones were packed and transported to Abu Dhabi have been reused to make furniture at the temple.
Swami Brahmaviharidas, head of international relations for BAPS, "The entire furniture which has been placed at various places inside the temple including prayer halls, cafeteria, community centre etc has been made using the wood from the boxes and trunks which were used to transport the stones. There is a bit of India in every corner of the temple".
The temple complex is bordered by buildings that house prayer halls, a community centre to host cultural events, a library, a children’s park and an amphitheatre through which a stream cuts across.
The work for the structure has been going on since 2019. The land for the temple was donated by the UAE government.
The UAE has three other Hindu temples that are located in Dubai. The BAPS temple, spread over a large area with stone architecture, will be the largest of all in the Gulf region.