Inside story of a Middle Eastern milestone
▶ Marble panels will be handcrafted by artisans in India’s rural workshops then assembled in the UAE
The Middle East’s first traditional Hindu stone temple, to be built in Abu Dhabi, will feature intricate architecture and delicate carvings that will retell ancient stories from Indian scriptures about peace and spirituality.
Visitors will be greeted with arches, pillars and domes interlaced with motifs of peacocks, elephants, trees and flowers.
This follows a universal theme depicting nature in other temples run by the Baps Swaminarayan Sanstha, the organisation entrusted with building and managing the temple.
Panels of marble and stone will be handcrafted by artisans in Pindvada, Sikandra and other rural workshops in India’s Rajasthan state, and later assembled in Abu Dhabi.
Sadhu Brahmavihari Das, the organisation’s chief spokesman, said the temple would be open to people of all beliefs and backgrounds, races and religions.
“This traditional temple will be a part of the UAE’s mission of happiness and harmony by helping to foster love, tolerance, understanding and peaceful co-existence,” Mr Brahmavihari Das said.
A regular visitor to the Middle East, he was part of the creative team that developed the sprawling Akshardham monuments for which the sanstha is best known in India’s Gandhinagar and New Delhi, and a smaller temple in Robbinsville, the US.
“It will facilitate the traditional practice of the Hindu faith and serve the more than 3.3 million Indians residing in, and the millions of international tourists annually visiting, the UAE through interfaith dialogue, pluralism and universal human values,” Mr Brahmavihari Das said.
The temple is expected to be built by 2020 in Al Rahba and will be modelled on other shrines built by the organisation, particularly the Akshardham temple in New Delhi.
While the Akshardham structures are expansive with pink sandstone walls encircling the complex, the Abu Dhabi temple will be much smaller.
Some designs are distinctive such as a mayur dwar, or peacock gate, a feature of the Delhi and Robbinsville temples.
Typically, the interior has carvings of Hindu deities and saints surrounded by ornate pillars with figurines of devotees playing small drums or classical stringed instruments. Other sections are embellished with gold-coloured metal sculptures of sages.
Models of elephants carting heavy logs of wood or picking up garlands of flowers is another characteristic design element, with engravings that tell stories of wisdom and devotion.
“There is no machine work involved. Our temples are handcrafted,” said Alka Patel, a tour guide at the New Delhi temple. “Each part has a story to tell, like the elephant blocks. No matter what religion you are, no matter what your beliefs, you will enjoy peace.
Akshardham means eternal divine abode.
The 1,200 temples in India, the UK, US, Canada, Africa and Australia handled by the organisation are crowd-pullers with people going to pray or simply gaze at ornate sculptures.
The temples also display Indian art and heritage, with paintings of herbal dye recounting stories from Indian scriptures.
During a state visit to the UAE last week, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the temple would be a symbol of amity.
“I believe this temple will not only be unique in terms of architecture and beauty, but will also give the message that the world is one family,” said Mr Modi, who thanked the Rulers for granting the land and permission to build.
“It will be a holy place that will be a catalyst of humanity and harmony.”
The architecture will attract people of all faiths, residents said.
“So many people will come into Dubai to see the temple. It will promote interfaith dialogue and will show how inclusive the country is,” said Surender Kandhari, founder of the Sikh gurdwara in Dubai.
“By giving us land for the gurudwara and now for the temple, the UAE Government has gone out of its way to support different faiths.”
Lina Rathore, a volunteer at the sanstha and a yoga teacher, has long been awaiting this.
“We pray at home but for everyone to pray together, it brings a different kind of peace,” she said.
Many people will come into Dubai to see the temple. It will promote interfaith dialogue SURENDER KANDHARI Dubai Sikh gurdwara founder