BAPS Temple HIGHLIGHTS: PM Modi concludes UAE visit after inauguration of Mandir in Abu Dhabi

"This will also increase the number of people coming to UAE and people-to-people connections will also increase. On behalf of the entire India and millions of Indians living around the world, I express my heartfelt gratitude to President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the UAE Government," said PM Modi in Abu Dhabi.

"The inauguration of the temple has years of hard work and dreams of many are connected with the temple. Swaminarayan's blessings are also connected," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said while addressing the inaugural event of the BAPS Hindu Temple in Abu Dhabi.

"We are proud to welcome you as a great friend and as a representative of a great and friendly country India. Your visit to UAE is a clear indication of the depth of the friendship, trust and cooperation that has long existed between the UAE and India and strengthened by you," said UAE Tolerance Minister Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan.

"I was present here when the foundation stone of this temple was laid by PM Modi. The Ruler of Dubai has a big heart, he gave the land and permission to construct this temple," actor Dilip Joshi to news agency ANI.

"We look forward to working with India in every aspect," said Udaya Indrarathna, Sri Lankan ambassador to the UAE.

"For many years, it's been a spiritual need, a religious need for them. And I know that in 2015, when the Prime Minister came here for the first time, he put in a request to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, then crown prince of Abu Dhabi, that it would be nice if some land could be granted," said former Indian ambassador to UAE Navdeep Suri.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai also present at the inauguration event

"Now the world needs a smart government, which makes technology a government medium, which is transparent and not corrupt," Prime Minister Modi said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing the World Government Summit in Dubai, emphasised that leaders need to tackle the challenges of the 21st century while keeping in mind the hurdles of ancient times.

During the World Government Summit in Dubai, PM Modi emphasised that the world needs inclusivity while running a successful government. He stressed that the government should also need to take care of climate while planning developmental projects.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday held a bilateral meeting with Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina, in Abu Dhabi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always taken the initiative and spoken to leaders of other countries to ensure the safety of Indian nationals abroad, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said here on Wednesday.
Responding to questions on the release of eight Indian Navy veterans, facing death row in Qatar, Kwatra said whenever the Indian community had faced problems, the Prime Minister, his leadership and his personal initiatives ensured that they were brought back to India. “This is direct evidence of the sensitive approach the Prime Minister adopts to address the problems faced by the Indian community,” Kwatra said during a briefing on the Prime Minister's visit to the UAE.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always taken the initiative and spoken to leaders of other countries to ensure the safety of Indian nationals abroad, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said here on Wednesday.
Responding to questions on the release of eight Indian Navy veterans, facing death row in Qatar, Kwatra said whenever the Indian community had faced problems, the Prime Minister, his leadership and his personal initiatives ensured that they were brought back to India. “This is direct evidence of the sensitive approach the Prime Minister adopts to address the problems faced by the Indian community,” Kwatra said during a briefing on the Prime Minister’s visit to the UAE.

The Consecration of Abu Dhabi's 1st Hindu temple has started on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his conversation with the UAE President, said that the leaders discussed the Israel-Hamas war besides the other aspects.

Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address at the World Government Summit, Burj Khalifa in Dubai lit up with the words 'Guest of Honor - Republic of India.' Dubai's Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has extended a warm welcome to PM Modi. He noted that the strong ties between the two nations serve as a model for international cooperation. At the invitation of UAE Vice President Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, PM Modi will participate in the World Government Summit 2024 set to be held in Dubai as a Guest of Honour and deliver a special keynote address at the Summit.

On Prime Minister Modi's ongoing visit to UAE, Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra says, "The Prime Minister arrived in Abu Dhabi yesterday in the afternoon on what is his 7th visit to this country. He was received by the President of the UAE, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and also accorded a ceremonial welcome at the airport. The leaders held detailed delegation level and one-to-one talks which covered the entire gamut of bilateral engagement between India and the UAE as well as the significant developments, regionally and globally. They also witnessed a transaction made using the Jeevan card and the Prime Minister congratulated the President with regard to the launch of UAE's domestic Jeevan card, which is another significant step in financial sector cooperation between India and the UAE...There were 10 MoU agreements that were signed."

WATCH: BAPS Hindu Mandir: From cost to architecture, know all about UAE’s first temple 

WATCH: LIVE telecast of  BAPS Hindu inauguration

The soon-to-open BAPS Hindu Mandir signals how far the United Arab Emirates has come in acknowledging the different faiths of its expatriate community, long dominated by Indians across construction sites and boardrooms. The temple nods back in its seven spires, the number of sheikhdoms in this autocratic federation on the Arabian Peninsula. It is also a sign of how close relations have become between the UAE and India.
Of the over 9 million people living in the UAE, India estimates more than 3.5 million are Indian expatriates, making them the largest group of people in the country, including Emirati citizens. PM Modi’s visit highlights the nations’ long-standing economic and historic ties, from spice selling and gold smuggling in the UAE’s formative years to tens of billions of dollars worth of annual bilateral trade today.

The countries signed a free trade deal in 2022 aimed at doubling their bilateral trade to $100 billion. India remains a key buyer of Emirati oil, while the UAE hopes to boost its local industries. The countries have agreed to allow India to settle some payments in rupees as opposed to dollars, lowering transaction costs.

Elephants, oryx and other animals abound. Also seen are symbols relating to ancient Egyptians and Mayans and architectural nods to Islam, the UAE’s official religion. Builders hoped to show all faiths are welcome at the site where Hindu worshipers will be able to pray before deities representative of Hinduism’s different denominations.
“Harmony is the only future we have,” Pujya Brahmavihari Swami, a religious leader overseeing construction said. “If we cannot coexist on this small planet that we have, then do we have a future?”

The Hindu Mandir stands out in the emptiness of Abu Mureikha, otherwise known for being where the UAE’s sheikhdoms agreed in 1976 to have a unified military. Just off the main highway linking Dubai to Abu Dhabi, the temple is made of sandstone imported from India’s Rajasthan state. Inside, Italian marble shines. Smaller temples have existed for decades in the UAE, but none follow the traditional building techniques of the Hindu Mandir. Its carved stones fit like a jigsaw puzzle and provide support without relying on the steel beams of modern architecture.

Stone dioramas ring its exterior, beginning with a scene in 1997 with a Hindu leader, shaded by an umbrella, in the sands of Sharjah calling for a temple in Abu Dhabi. The last is a tiny UAE in relief, with religious leaders in front of a temple and the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the world’s tallest building.

The inauguration of the iconic Mandir will be celebrated through the ‘Festival of Harmony’ – a series of uplifting programs and community events focused on strengthening faith, mobilising community service, and inspiring harmony among people of all generations and backgrounds, the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) said in a press release.