Workers close to finishing Hindu temple’s foundation
The foundation of the UAE’s first traditional Hindu temple will be completed by next month and will prepare the structure for pink sandstone carvings to be installed in May.
Construction is well under way at the Abu Mureikha site in Abu Dhabi where workers are using cutters to splice large slabs to complete the temple’s base.
Two underground tunnels are being built by the crew using stone imported from India.
The outer structure of the temple will begin to take shape over the next few months as work gathers pace.
When it opens in 2023, it will be the largest place in the country for people of all faiths to learn about Indian culture and the Hindu religion.
In a video update on the construction, the team said work to place the first carved stone next month was on schedule.
Building work is currently 4.5 metres above ground level in the video released by Baps Swaminarayan Sanstha, the organisation building the temple.
“I feel very blessed to be a part of this project,” said project engineer, Ashok Kondeti.
“Since January we have poured 4,500 cubic metres [of concrete].
“We can complete total foundation work by April so we can have the actual stone work by May.”
There was no need to import sand because material at the site was used to fill the trenches and for the foundation.
There will be two small waterfalls on either side of the stairways and the shrine will have seven spires to represent each emirate.
The stairs will lead into the temple’s marble-lined halls and a water channel will form a ring around the building.
The designs set aside place for an amphitheatre, prayer halls, a library, a community centre, a play area for children, parks, a visitor centre and a food court in the 10.9-hectare site.
More than 2,000 craftsmen in India’s north-west Rajasthan state are chiselling delicate marble and stone sculptures on columns that will be fitted together at the Abu Dhabi site.
The carvings depict stories from Hindu scriptures. The sculptures pay homage to deities, capture dancers and musicians playing traditional instruments and show men in ceremonial gear astride horses and elephants.
The temple will welcome people of all faiths.
Organisers described it as a spiritual oasis that will reflect the inclusive character of the Emirates.
The land was given to the Indian community by Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.
Baps, which is responsible for building 1,200 shrines around the world, including in the US, UK and Australia, said the community areas would engage visitors and host discussions on values, peace and harmony.