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UAE’s First Hindu Temple
Courtesy/By: PARAM SAKET SARANG | 2024-02-14 23:32 Views : 218
UAE’s First Hindu Temple
Introduction
PM Modi to inaugurate UAE's first Hindu Temple. 5 points about BAPS Mandir in Abu Dhabi. Prime Minister Modi will open the UAE's historic BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Abu Dhabi on February 14, marking a watershed moment for the city's Hindu community. Public access begins on March 1st. PM Modi further stated that he is looking forward to joining the Indian diaspora in the UAE for the Ahlan Modi programme.
About BAPS
BAPS, an acronym for the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, symbolises a socio-spiritual Hindu sect based on the Vedas, pioneered by Bhagwan Swaminarayan (1781-1830) in the late 18th century and formally formed in 1907 by Shastriji Maharaj (1865-1951).
BAPS, founded on the concepts of practical spirituality, seeks to confront today's spiritual, moral, and social concerns. Its strength comes from the integrity of its goals and intents.
BAPS' global network of over 3,850 locations has earned numerous national and international honours, as well as affiliations with prestigious organisations such as the United Nations.
The BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi was erected on a 27-acre (11-hectare) land granted by the UAE government.
Key Architectural Features
The MEP Middle East Awards named the temple the Best Mechanical Project of the Year 2019 and Best Interior Design Concept of the Year 2020.
Among the prominent architectural characteristics are the 96 bells and gaumukhs that line the walkway leading to the shrine. These 96 bells commemorate Pramukh Swami Maharaj's 96 years of life. Nano tiles were employed, making it comfortable for people to walk on even in the heat.
On the temple's upper left, there is a stone carving of Pramukh Swami Maharaj envisioning the temple in Abu Dhabi in 1997.
The temple contains several different types of pillars, including round and hexagonal ones, as well as a peculiar pillar known as the 'Pillar of Pillars', which has over 1,400 miniature pillars carved into it.
The shrine is surrounded by modern, monolithic buildings that resemble dunes in hue.
The temple features deities from the four corners of India. These include Lord Ram, Sita, Lakshman, and Hanuman, Lord Shiv, Parvati, Ganpati, Kartikeya, Lord Jagannath, Lord Radha-Krishna, Akshar-Purushottam Maharaj (Bhagwan Swaminarayan and Gunatitanand Swami), Tirupati Balaji and Padmavati, and Lord Ayappa.
Significance of Temple
According to a spokeswoman for BAPS, "A Muslim king donated land for a Hindu Mandir, where the lead architect is a Catholic Christian, the project manager a Sikh, the foundational designer a Buddhist, the construction company a Parsi group, and the director comes from the Jain tradition."
Gujarat, particularly Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar, has recently seen an increase in interest and presence of UAE-based realtors.
India and UAE Economics Relation
The economic cooperation between India and the UAE has grown, with bilateral trade expected to reach USD 85 billion in 2022–23. The UAE is India's third-largest trading partner and its second-largest export destination. The goal is to increase bilateral merchandise trade to more than $100 billion and services trade to $15 billion in five years. Many Indian firms have established production facilities in the UAE, either through joint ventures or in Special Economic Zones (SEZs) for cement, construction materials, textiles, engineering products, consumer electronics, and so on.
Cultural Relations
The UAE boasts about 3.3 million Indians, and Emiratis are quite knowledgeable about and receptive to Indian culture. India was the Guest of Honour at the 2019 Abu Dhabi International Book Fair.
Indian cinema, television, and radio channels are widely available and popular; major theatres and cinema halls in the UAE show commercial Hindi, Malayalam, and Tamil films.
The Emirati community also participates in our yearly International Day of Yoga celebrations, and several yoga and meditation centres are operating successfully in the UAE.
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Courtesy/By: PARAM SAKET SARANG | 2024-02-14 23:32
