On February 14, 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) Mandir, the first Hindu stone temple in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The temple is located in Abu Mureikhah, near Al Rahba off the Dubai-Abu Dhabi Sheikh Zayed Highway, and is built across 27-acre site at a cost of around Rs 700 crore. The festivities began on February 10, 2024, with the Festival of Harmony. On February 11, 2024, a Vedic ritual called the ‘Yagna for Harmony’ was held for seeking divine blessings. This was the first global harmony ritual performed in the area. The Mahant Swami Maharaj performed the Vedic ceremony of Murthi Pratishtha or consecration of the Mandir. The inauguration of the 108-foot-tall temple has been a momentous occasion for both India and the UAE and also the Hindu population in the UAE.
History of BAPS Hindu Mandir
Pramukh Swami Maharaj envisioned a mandir in Abu Dhabi which would bring countries, cultures, and religions closer together. That is how the history of the BAPS Hindu temple began during his visit to the UAE, in 1997. Further, there has been a need of the local Indian community in the UAE to have a noteworthy place of worship. About 3.3 million Indians live in the UAE, making up a sizable portion of the population. Between 150 and 200 of these households are followers of BAPS Swaminarayan. In August 2015, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Force, gifted 27 acres of land for the construction of a Hindu mandir in Abu Dhabi.
On February 10, 2018, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed by India and the UAE, in the presence of Indian prime minister, BAPS representatives, and Sheikh Mohamed along with his royal family, and over 250 local leaders. On April 20, 2019, the foundation stone for the temple was laid in the presence of Mahant Swami Maharaj of BAPS and the construction began in December 2019.
Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha
The roots of the Hindu socio-spiritual faith BAPS are from the Vedas. BAPS was founded by Bhagwan Swaminarayan in the late 18th century. It was formally revived in 1907 by Shastriji Maharaj. Practical spirituality has been the fundamental principle of BAPS. BAPS seeks to address the moral, social, and spiritual issues that are pressing in today’s world.
This temple has been built by BAPS, which is a branch of the Vaishnav sect of Hinduism, the Swaminarayan Sampradaya. Approximately 1,550 temples are a part of the global network of BAPS. It includes the Swaminarayan temples in London, Houston, Chicago, Atlanta, Toronto, Los Angeles, Nairobi, and the Akshardham temples in New Delhi and Gandhinagar.
Architecture and Construction
Global efforts have been put to build this temple. For high seismic/high wind design, an expert, Sia the Keong Kong from Malaysia, was hired and the UAE’s Vasiahmed Behlim worked as the lead structural engineer while Shapoorji Pallonji was the project executor. It has been built in the traditional Nagara style of architecture and few new elements have been added for cultural inclusion of two nations. The entrance of the temple is marked by eight idols (murtis), symbolising the eight values foundational to the Sanatana Dharma. No concrete and no steel were used in the construction of the temple. The temple has a prayer hall, a community centre, and an exhibition hall. The BAPS Hindu Mandir is the largest temple in West Asia with the capacity to host 10,000 people. It is 108 feet tall and has a length of 262 feet and a breadth of 180 feet.
The BAPS temple has two domes (ghumats). The two ghumats are the ‘Dome of Peace’ and ‘Dome of Harmony’. The Dome of Harmony showcases five natural elements—water, fire, air, earth, and space. The temple shows the harmony between two different traditions, faiths, and countries. To give equal representation to the UAE, along with animals that occupy an important place in Indian epics like elephants, lions, etc., animals such as horses and camel carvings are done. Each of the horse and camel carvings are unique and without repetition. UAE’s national bird, the Saker Falcon has also been included in the design of the temple. There is also a 3D-printed wall called the Wall of Harmony, which features a video unveiling the key milestones of the construction of the temple.
As a tribute to Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s 96 years of life, 96 bells and gaumukhs have been put in place around the path leading to the temple. More than 25,000 pieces of stone, skilfully carved by Indian craftsmen from Rajasthan and Gujarat, make up the temple. The temple has been allocated with seven shikhars (spires) which represent the seven Emirates (Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al-Quwain, Ras Al-Khaimah, and Fujairah) of the UAE. The seven spires also pay homage to seven important deities of the temple, underscoring the interconnectedness of cultures and religions. Stories from the Ramayana, Shiva Purana, Bhagavatam, Mahabharata and the lives of Lord Jagannath, Swaminarayan, Venkateshwara, and Ayyappa are carved onto each of the shikars. Additionally, stories from Mayan, Aztec, Egyptian, Arabic, European, Chinese, and African civilisations have been depicted in the temple.
It also has 12 dome-like structures, called the samrans. It has 402 different kinds of pillars. There is also a special pillar, called the ‘Pillar of pillars’, which has about 1,400 small pillars carved into it.
The temple complex has a visitor centre, prayer halls, exhibitions, learning areas, sports area for children, thematic gardens, food court, a book and gift shop, among others.
Tonnes of pink sandstone were shipped from northern Rajasthan to Abu Dhabi for the construction of the temple. The pink sandstone has the ability to withstand temperatures up to 50 0C. The temple has been constructed with about 18 lakh bricks. The interior of the temple has been built with about 50,000 cubic feet of pristine white Italian marble. The temple building ensures sustainability and endurance in the face of high temperatures.
The carbon footprint of the temple has been minimised by the use of fly ash to fill the foundation. Fly ash replaces 55 per cent of the cement in the concrete mix. Heat resistant nano tiles and heavy glass panels have been used to resist heat and both traditional aesthetic stone structures with modern-day functionality have been incorporated.
An artificially made river surrounds the temple which has been fed by the water brought in from the Ganga and Yamuna rivers. The image of the River Saraswati has been represented in the form of white light to depict Triveni Sangam. On the side where the Ganga water flows, an amphitheatre, shaped like a ghat, has been constructed to resemble the ghat of Varanasi. Devotees could sit and meditate here.
More than 6,90,000 manhours were volunteered by over 200 volunteers from the UAE for the construction of the temple. Their involvement has been multifaceted, including planning, building, logistics, civil work, and temple maintenance. As such, it has had a significant impact on the development of the temple.
In order to collect data on temperature fluctuations, pressure changes and seismic activity, the temple has been equipped with over 350 earthquake sensors spread throughout while 100 sensors have been installed in its foundation.
Deities
The temple features seven shrines and each is dedicated to deities from all the four corners of India. The marble statues of Swaminarayan and Gunatitanand Swami, who are revered together as Akshar-Purushottam Maharaj, are housed in the centre of the shrine. The second shrine has marble murtis of Krishna and Radha. The third shrine has murtis of Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, and Hanuman. Murtis of Shiva, Parvati, Ganesha, and Kartikeya are housed in the fourth shrine. The black granite murtis of Srinivasa and Padmavati, which are the main deities of Tirupati Balaji Temple, have been housed in the fifth shrine. The cast metal murtis of Jagannath along with his siblings, Subhadra and Balabhadra, are housed in the sixth shrine. The seventh shrine has been dedicated to the panchaloha (traditional five-metal alloy) murti of Ayyappan, the son of Mohini and Shiva. The murti is also accompanied by a model of the 18 holy steps of the Sabarimala Ayyappa mandir, in Kerala. Every shrine has been embellished with magnificent sculptures which depict the teachings and life of respective deities.
Harmony between Cultures and Religions
The main significance of the BAPS Mandir has been the interfaith and cultural harmony. The land for the temple has been donated by a Muslim king, the architecture and the design of the temple was done by a Catholic Christian, and the construction of the temple was managed by a Sikh who has been working in a Parsi construction company. The director of the BAPS Mandir is a Jain. This has been an example to the co-existence between peoples of different religious beliefs and nationalities for establishing international peace. Following the inauguration, on February 15, 2024, an assembly, called the ‘Day of Harmony’ was celebrated. This brought Muslims, Christians, Jewish, Sikh, Buddhist, and other religious leaders together for commemorating the opening of BAPS Mandir and further foster interfaith harmony.
Members from every faith, religion, and sect have put in their efforts in building the BAPS Mandir. There are stories from the Bible and Quran that have been carved on the temple walls. According to the Deputy Ambassador of the UK, Jonathan Knight, on his visit to the temple, “It’s wonderful to see a place that’s been contributed by so many different faiths coming together to build something that will last for generations.”
Conclusion
To conclude, the BAPS Swami Narayan temple in Abu Dhabi stands not only as a place of worship for Hindus but also as a testament to the values of unity, diversity, and cooperation. Its inauguration is a milestone in the journey towards fostering greater understanding and collaboration among different communities, both within the UAE and on the global stage. Further, the temple’s inauguration underscores the growing economic and diplomatic relations between India and the UAE.
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