Behind the UAE temple, a legacy of pluralism - Beacon

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Wednesday, February 21, 2024

Behind the UAE temple, a legacy of pluralism

Pluralism in the UAE goes a long way back

The inauguration of the BAPS Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi last week is not only land donated for a Hindu temple but also a momentous project.

The new Hindu temple was inaugurated last Wednesday by the guru of the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha Hindu denomination, Mahant Swami Maharaj, who said that the new temple would be “an abode of love, peace and harmony.”

Also speaking at the ceremony, Modi said that “the UAE has written a golden chapter in the history of humanity by supporting this mandir.”

Ties between the two nations have deepened since 2015, when Modi made the first visit to the UAE by an Indian prime minister in more than three years.

Modi added that the temple had “infused new energy into [India’s] age-old relationship” with the UAE which is home to some 3.5 million Indians.

He also said that the temple had been built for all of humanity and that he had faith it would “usher in a new age of faith and hope, bringing the whole world together in harmony and collaboration.”

Tolerance and Coexistence in the UAE Minister Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan also attended the ceremony, saying that the temple marked “the beginning of something special.”

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