BAPS Hindu Mandir, Abu Dhabi

About BAPS Hindu Mandir, Abu Dhabi

The BAPS Hindu Mandir at Abu Mureikhah, off the Dubai–Abu Dhabi Sheikh Zayed Highway, is the first traditional stone Hindu temple in the Middle East. Its seven shikharas symbolise the seven Emirates.

The mandir is 108 feet high, 262 feet long and 180 feet wide, with 402 pillars, built of Rajasthani pink sandstone outside and Italian marble inside. More than 25,000 stone pieces were hand-carved in India by over 2,000 artisans. Following the ancient shilpa shastras, no steel was used in the structure, yet it was designed with full digital modelling and seismic simulation, and hundreds of sensors monitor its health.

Seven shrines honour Swaminarayan with Gunatitanand Swami; Radha and Krishna; Rama, Sita, Lakshmana and Hanuman; Shiva, Parvati, Ganesha and Kartikeya; Venkateshwara and Padmavati; Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra; and Ayyappan. The campus includes a visitor centre, exhibitions, prayer halls, gardens and water features, a food court and a 'Wall of Harmony'. The temple welcomed 2.2 million visitors in its first year; visitors should pre-register online before going and follow the dress code.

History

The idea goes back to 1997, when BAPS guru Pramukh Swami Maharaj prayed for a mandir in Abu Dhabi. In 2015 the UAE announced land for the temple, donated by Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and in 2019 Mahant Swami Maharaj laid the foundation stone. After construction began in December 2019, the mandir was consecrated by Mahant Swami Maharaj on 14 February 2024 and dedicated to the public by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, opening to all visitors on 1 March 2024. Its builders came from many faiths — a fact the temple celebrates as a symbol of harmony.