Abu Dhabi’s first stone Hindu temple, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this month, will open to visitors on March 1, temple authorities have confirmed.

Abu Dhabi’s first stone Hindu temple opens on March 1

The public can visit the temple, which cost about Rs 700 crore, six days a week except Mondays from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Built by Bochasanwasi Shri Akshara Purushottam Swaminarayana Sanstha (BAPS) Swaminarayana Sanstha, the temple is spread over a sprawling 27 hectare site in Abu Mureikhah, near Al Rahba, just off the Dubai-Abu Dhabi Sheikh Zayed Highway. In an inauguration ceremony attended by over 5,000 guests, Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the grand temple on February 14. From February 15 to 29, pre-registered foreign devotees and VIP guests had the opportunity to visit the temple.Constructed of 18 lakh bricks and 1.8 lakh cubic meters of Rajasthani sandstone, the temple is built in the Nagara architectural style, similar to the recently opened Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

The BAPS Hindu Mandir is currently the largest in the entire Persian Gulf region and there are already three other Hindu temples in Dubai.

The stone temple architecture includes seven towers symbolizing the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates, as well as sculptures of camels and the national bird, the falcon, representing the host country. Swami Brahmaviharidas, head of international relations at BAPS, told PTI that “the seven towers have idols of deities including Lord Ram, Lord Shiv, Lord Jagannath, Lord Krishna, Lord Swaminarayan (believed to be the reincarnation of Lord Krishna) and Tirupati Balaji .” and Lord Ayappa.The seven shikharas represent the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates.

To ensure a fair representation of the host country, the design of the temple incorporated the UAE’s national bird, the falcon, as well as animals such as elephants, camels and lions, which play a prominent role in Indian mythology. The temple contains 15 stories from India, including Ramayana and Mahabharata, as well as stories from various other civilizations such as Mayans, Aztecs, Egyptians, Arabs, Europeans, Chinese and Africans.

The outer walls of the temple were built of sandstone imported from India and architectural features include two ghumat (domes): the “Dome of Peace” and the “Dome of Harmony”, twelve samran (dome-shaped structures) and 402 pillars. Holy water from the Ganges and Yamuna flows on both sides of the temple, imported in large containers from India.Residents also have access to a welcome center, prayer rooms, library, classrooms, playground, garden and shops.