A day before inaugurating the first Hindu stone temple in Abu Dhabi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday thanked the United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for his support.
“The construction of BAPS (Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha) temple here would not have been possible without your support,” Modi told the UAE President during a bilateral meeting, according to ANI.
Modi, who landed in Abu Dhabi in the afternoon for a two-day visit, will inaugurate the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) Mandir, the first Hindu stone temple in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
Earlier today, after landing in Abu Dhabi, Prime Minister Modi thanked the UAE president for the warm welcome.
“I thank you for the warm welcome. Whenever I come here to meet you, I always feel I have come to meet my family. We’ve met 5 times in the last 7 months, it’s very rare and reflects our close relationship,” Modi told Nahyan.
He also thanked him for visiting Gujarat to attend the Vibrant Gujarat Summit.
“I thank you for accepting my invitation and coming to my home state Gujarat for the Vibrant Gujarat Summit. You have taken this event to new heights and its reputation has increased in the world…” the prime minister said.
During the bilateral meeting, the two leaders witnessed the exchange of multiple agreements. They also together launched the UPI RuPay card service.
The BAPS Hindu Mandir in UAE
The Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) Mandir will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 14 in Abu Dhabi.
The inauguration will be presided over by Spiritual leader Mahant Swami Maharaj.
BAPS Hindu Mandir is made from pink Rajasthan sandstone and white Italian marble stone, carved in India and transported to UAE for assembly.
UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan had donated 13.5 acres of land for the construction of the temple during PM Modi’s visit to the country in 2015.
In January 2019, the UAE Government allocated a further 13.5 acres of land, thus making a total of 27 acres of land gifted for the temple. The foundation of the temple was laid by PM Modi in 2017.
