PICS: More Than 2500 People Attended The Stone Laying Ceremony For The UAE’s First Traditional Hindu Temple
The foundation stone-laying ceremony for the UAE’s first traditional Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi concluded on Saturday.
About 2,500 devotees from the region, as well as around the world including the US, UK and Africa, joined the priests to witness the historic moment.
Led by His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj, spiritual leader of Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Sanstha (BAPS) Swaminarayan Sanstha, and Pujya Ishwar Charan Swami, senior sadhu of BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir, the ceremony started with sacred rituals, as well as repeated verses in Sanskrit language that filled the air.
As many as 50 priests came from India to be a part of the ceremonies
Thousands gather to witness the Shilanyas ceremony of the first Hindu temple to be built in #AbuDhabi pic.twitter.com/1lBeCqPiLp
— Doordarshan News (@DDNewsLive) April 20, 2019
The ceremony also saw devotees following directions from the priest, as a tray containing a brick, rice, water, rose petals, marigold flowers, vermillion powder and a religious thread was placed in front of them
Privileged, honoured to be at historic event, of stone laying ceremony of Swami Narayan Temple at Abu Dhabi just now.
This one single step is giant leap forward for entire civilisation. Abu Dhabi has honoured Hindustan?@narendramodi@PiramalGroup @amitabhk87 @akshaykumar pic.twitter.com/MRtOMug9vc— Harinder Sikka (@sikka_harinder) April 20, 2019
Following a two-hour prayer service, the foundation stone was laid by the priests
Shilanyas ceremony of the first Hindu temple to be built in #AbuDhabi in progress with Vedic rites pic.twitter.com/KrIVAJCvmo
— Doordarshan News (@DDNewsLive) April 20, 2019
The temple will be accessible to people of all religions
The 55,000 square metres of land, that will host the temple, was donated by HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit in 2016.
The design of the temple takes inspirations from several Hindu temples including India’s Akshardham temple in New Delhi, but will be much smaller in the size.
