From banker to temple volunteer

DUBAI: A 43-year-old Indian-origin investment banker quit his high-paying job in Dubai last year to serve as a full-time volunteer at the Baps Abu Dhabi temple, which was inaugurated by India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently.

Vishal Patel, a second-generation expat from Gujarat who was brought up in London, was working with the Dubai International Financial Centre and previously held positions at prominent investment banks and hedge funds.

Patel spoke of his close association with the Baps Swaminarayan Sanstha since childhood, adding that its mandir in London had been a guiding light in his life.

“Supporting this (Abu Dhabi) mandir allowed me to make a meaningful impact on society and engage in endeavours that contribute to the greater good. This opportunity was too significant to pass up,” Patel, who has been living in the UAE since 2016, said.

From placing protective fences at the building site to serving food to guests, Patel actively participated in the temple’s construction process. He is now the chief communications officer in a voluntary capacity for the temple and performs various tasks, including media relations and strategic communications.

Patel said several other volunteers like him were ready to give up their jobs to serve at the Baps Sanstha.

“Our spiritual leaders, Pramukh Swami Maharaj and Mahant Swami Maharaj, have left a lasting impact on young minds and inspired many to devote their time and efforts from all corners of the world,” he said.

After graduating with a degree in economics from the University of London, Patel struggled to find employment, and a breakthrough came while volunteering at the Baps Mandir in London.

He met a senior director at Merrill Lynch who offered him advice on entering the investment banking industry, which led him and other young volunteers to organise fairs at the temple for students and employment seekers.

“That’s why you see youth dedicating themselves as volunteers in the Baps. The mandir has provided them with a strong foundation in their lives. And that is precisely what this Abu Dhabi Mandir will provide here,” Patel said.

India and the UAE further cemented their friendship on February 14 with the inauguration of the Baps Mandir, the first Hindu temple in the Gulf nation.

In his inaugural speech, Modi showered praise on the UAE, saying that the country had won the hearts of billions of Indians and written a “golden chapter in human history”.

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, donated the land for the construction of the temple.