Dubai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today officially launched the foundation stone-laying ceremony for the first Hindu temple in the capital of the UAE, home to over three million people of Indian origin.
PM Modi witnessed the ground-breaking ceremony which was live-streamed to the Dubai Opera House where he was interacting with the Indian community.
He thanked Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on behalf of 125 crore Indians for the construction of the grand temple.
“I believe this temple will not be only unique in terms of architecture and splendour, but will also give a message of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ (one world) to people across the world,” Modi said.
Temple Committee members had presented the temple literature to PM Modi and Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan last evening in Abu Dhabi. This is the first stone temple to be built in Abu Dhabi off Dubai-Abu Dhabi Highway.
PM Modi is visiting the United Arab Emirates for the second time after his 2015 trip to the kingdom.
The first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi will come up on 55,000 square metres of land.
The temple will be hand-carved by Indian temple artisans and assembled in the UAE. It will be completed by 2020 and will be open to people of all religious backgrounds.
This post was published on February 11, 2018 6:44 pm