PM Modi to inaugurate BAPS temple in UAE

PM Modi to inaugurate BAPS temple in UAE

Subject: History

Section: Art and Culture

Context:

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the BAPS Mandir, a stunning architectural marvel which is Abu Dhabi’s first Hindu temple.

More on news:

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the sprawling Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi, built by the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha or the BAPS society.
• Built on 27 acres of land, this will be the first Hindu stone temple in Abu Dhabi which features a unique blend of Indian culture and the United Arab Emirates’s (UAE) identity.
• The inauguration of the temple in Abu Dhabi also redefines multiculturalism, which remains a contested concept in the Islamic world.
• Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the tenth spiritual guru and head of the sect, on April 5, 1997 had envisioned a Hindu temple in the desert sands of Abu Dhabi which could bring countries, communities and cultures together.
• The Indian diaspora is almost 3.3-million strong in UAE, a huge percentage of the country’s population.

What are the features of the temple?

• The Abu Dhabi temple is a traditional stone Hindu temple with seven shikhars. 
• Built in the traditional Nagar style, the temple’s front panel depicts universal values, stories of harmony from different cultures, Hindu spiritual leaders and avatars.
• Spread over 27 acres, the temple complex is on 13.5 acres, with a parking area of 13.5 acres that can accommodate around 1,400 cars and 50 buses.
• The 13.5 acres of land was gifted by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the UAE in 2019.
• The height of the temple is 108 ft, length 262 ft and width 180 ft. 
• While the external facade uses pink sandstone from Rajasthan, the interior uses Italian marbles. 
• A total of 20,000 tonnes of stones and marble was shipped in 700 containers for the temple.
• More than Rs 700 crore was spent on the temple’s construction.
• The temple has two central domes, Dome of Harmony and Dome of Peace, emphasizing human coexistence through the carvings of earth, water, fire, air, and plants.
• A Wall of Harmony, one of the largest 3D-printed walls in the UAE, features a video showcasing key milestones of the temple’s construction.
• The word ‘harmony’ has been written in 30 different ancient and modern languages.
• The seven shikhar’s (spires) are representative of the seven Emirates of the UAE.
• Other amenities include an assembly hall with a capacity of 3,000 people, a community center, exhibitions, classrooms, and a majlis venue.

What are the key architectural features?

• The temple was judged the Best Mechanical Project of the Year 2019 at the MEP Middle East Awards, and the Best Interior Design Concept of the Year 2020.
• Among the key architectural features are 96 bells and gaumukhs installed around the path leading to the temple. 
• These 96 bells are a tribute to Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s 96 years of life. 
• Nano tiles have been used, which will be comfortable for visitors to walk on even in the hot weather.
• On the top left of the temple is a stone carving of the scene of Pramukh Swami Maharaj envisioning the temple in Abu Dhabi in 1997.
• Non ferrous material (which is more vulnerable to corrosion) has been used in the temple.
• While many different types of pillars can be seen in the temple, such as circular and hexagonal, there is a special pillar, called the ‘Pillar of pillars’, which has around 1,400 small pillars carved into it.
• Buildings surrounding the temple are modern and monolithic, with their color resembling sand dunes.
• Deities from all four corners of India have been featured in the temple.
• These include Lord Ram, Sita, Lakshman and Hanuman, Lord Shiv, Parvati, Ganpati, Kartikeya, Lord Jagannath, Lord Radha-Krishna, Akshar-Purushottam Maharaj (Bhagwan Swaminarayan and Gunatitanand Swami), Tirupati Balaji and Padmavati and Lord Ayappa.
• The temple also has some special features, like a ‘holy river’ surrounding it, for which waters from Ganga and Yamuna have been brought in.
• The river Saraswati has been depicted in the form of white light.
• A Varanasi-like ghat has been created where the ‘Ganga’ passes.
• Apart from 15 value tales from Indian civilisation, stories from the Maya civilisation, Aztec civilisation, Egyptian civilisation, Arabic civilisation, European civilisation, Chinese civilisation and African civilisation have been depicted.

What is the significance of the temple?

• A Muslim king donated land for a Hindu Mandir, where the lead architect is a Catholic Christian, the project manager a Sikh, the foundational designer a Buddhist, the construction company a Parsi group, and the director comes from the Jain tradition.
• Gujarat, especially Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar, has recently seen increasing interest from and presence of realtors from the UAE.

What is BAPS?

• The temple has been built by the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), a denomination of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya, a Vaishnav sect of Hinduism.
• BAPS has a network of around 1,550 temples across the world, including the Akshardham temples in New Delhi and Gandhinagar, and Swaminarayan temples in London, Houston, Chicago, Atlanta, Toronto, Los Angeles, and Nairobi.
• It also runs 3,850 centers and 17,000 weekly assemblies globally.