Diplomats from over 30 countries visit traditional Hindu stone temple site in UAE

Press Trust of India

Dubai: Ambassadors and diplomats from over 30 countries visited the under-construction site of the BAPS Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi-- the first traditional Hindu stone temple in the Middle East-- to inspect its progress and promote a dialogue of hope, harmony and humanity. The diplomats attended the gathering of the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) temple on Thursday, on a special invite by the Ambassador of India to the UAE, Sunjay Sudhir.

"Columns of peace & beams of harmony, make up the @BAPS@ AbuDhabiMandir. Resident Ambassadors and diplomats from more than 30 countries visited the temple site and marvelled at the delicate carvings & motifs from across world cultures," the Indian Embassy in the UAE tweeted.

The envoys and mission representatives from the Philippines, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Japan, Indonesia, Israel, Brazil, Belgium, New Zealand, Canada, and Nigeria, were among those who visited the temple, the Khaleej Times newspaper reported.

Sudhir briefed the ambassadors and their families on the temple's progress since the laying of its foundation stone by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2018. He described the temple project as a symbol of the “close, historic and cultural bonds” between India and the UAE, which share the values of peace, harmony, tolerance and coexistence, according to the report.

Sudhir also hailed the vision of the leadership of the UAE and their inspiring efforts to build a diverse, peaceful and cohesive community. According to the temple's official Twitter account, the diplomats were awed by the craftsmanship and message of its carvings and architecture.

"Honoured to welcome more than 30 Diplomats for a beautiful evening tour of the mandir's progress and a dialogue of hope, harmony and humanity. It was also an opportunity to appreciate the spirit and vision of @BAPS @MohamedBinZayed & @narendramodi," it tweeted.

The envoys also interacted with the craftsmen and other team members at the temple and expressed hope to return when the temple opens next year, according to the report. The BAPS temple is being constructed on 55,000 square metres of land, and its structure is being hand-carved by Indian temple artisans and assembled in the UAE. Last year, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited the site and described it as "a symbol of peace, tolerance and harmony."