Modi opens UAE temple, hails ties with Arab world

Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened a grand temple in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, describing the sprawling stone structure as an embodiment of the close ties between India and the Arab world and hailing the strength of diversity ingrained in the building.

Dressed in a pale pink kurta, Modi presided over the consecration ceremony of the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) temple, participated in rituals that were replicated in around 1,200 shrines built by the organisation worldwide, and met workers who helped build the temple in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

He also hailed the role played by UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed AI Nahyan, recalled the fervour over the opening of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya last month, referred to himself as the biggest pujari (priest) of "Maa Bharati", and said the current period was not only the Amrit Kaal - a reference to the years leading up to the centenary of India's independence for the country but also for its faith and culture.

"The temple is an example of global unity and communal harmony...it reflects the depth of ties between India and the UAE," he said on the second of his two-day trip to the country. "It is a symbol of the shared love between the people of India and the Arab world."

The temple that is spread across 27 acres was built for an estimated ₹700 crore.

Around 1.8 million bricks were used for the temple, which features seven main spires each representing an emirate in the country.

Modi spent a chunk of his speech talking about India-UAE ties, saying that the world saw the relationship as an example of mutual trust and cooperation. He said in recent years, the bilateral ties scaled new heights, but added that India didn't see the relationship only in contemporary circumstances.

"The roots of these relations are thousands of years old, the Arab world played the role of a the bridge for trade between India and Europe in ancient times... In Gujarat, where I come from, the Arab world was a leading business centre for traders. New possibilities are born from the confluence of civilisations, and new streams of art, culture, and literature spout forth," he said, speaking in Hindi.