The sprawling BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Abu Dhabi, town’s first Hindu temple, is ready to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 14 (Wednesday), throughout his go to to the UAE. The temple will open to the general public on March 1.
Constructed on a 27-acre plot, the temple is a shocking architectural marvel that holds a prayer corridor having a capability of three,000 individuals, a group centre, an exhibition corridor and a number of other different attributes.
ARCHITECTURE
The temple, whose foundation-stone ceremony happened in April 2019, displays the unparalleled grandeur of the standard Nagar type of structure.
Constructed with 1.80 lakh cubic ft of pink Rajasthan sandstone, 50,000 cubic ft of pristine white Italian marble and 18 lakh bricks, the temple stands tall at 108 ft, being topped with seven shikhars (spires) every representing one of many seven emirates of the UAE.
Surrounding the temple are meticulously crafted ghats and options of the holy rivers Ganga and Yamuna. The temple has two central domes — ‘Dome of Concord’ and ‘Dome of Peace’.
The doorway of the temple is marked by eight murtis (idols), symbolising the eight values foundational to Sanatana Dharma. The temple house is an ode to human concord and coexistence with nature, meticulously depicted by the carvings of earth, water, hearth, air, and plants on a dome.
The various heritage of humanity finds pleasure as a replacement inside these sacred areas. Tales from historic civilisations — Maya, Aztec, Egyptian, Arabic, European, Chinese language and African — are all captured in stone, a testomony to the interconnected essence of world spirituality whereas honouring India’s wealthy non secular heritage.
CULTURAL HUB
The temple advanced, unfold over 13.5 acres, isn’t just a spot of worship but additionally a cultural hub, full with a guests’ centre, exhibitions, prayer halls, studying areas, sports activities services for youngsters and younger individuals, a meals court docket, thematic gardens, a e book and present store, and numerous different facilities.
SHRINES OF DIFFERENT DEITIES
The temple homes seven shrines, every devoted to totally different deities hailing from the North, East, West and South elements of India. These deities embody Lord Ram and his spouse Sita; Lord Hanuman; Lord Shiva and his spouse Parvati and youngsters Ganesh and Karthik; Lord Jagannath; Lord Krishna and his spouse Radha; Shri Akshar-Purushottam Maharaj; Lord Tirupati Balaji and Lord Ayyappa. Every shrine is adorned with beautiful carvings reflecting the life and teachings of their respective deities.
Within the shrine devoted to Lord Shiva, the sumptuous carvings depict the colourful verses of ‘Shiv Puran’ and illustrate the domains of the 12 ‘Jyotirlings’. The celebration of ‘Jagannath Yatra’ or ‘Rathyatra’ is skillfully carved throughout the shrine of Lord Jagannath. Tales from ‘Bhagwat’ and ‘Mahabharat’ come alive contained in the sanctum devoted to Lord Krishna.
However, Swaminarayan and Lord Ayyappa’s life, work, and teachings are captured meticulously in stone inside their respective shrines.
Guests to the shrine of Lord Ram can discover themselves immersed within the magnificent tales of ‘Ramayan’ intricately adorned on the temple partitions. The sacred ‘Plinth of Values’ and depictions of holy rivers function a testomony to the potent non secular and moral basis of Indian tradition.
Fashionable and minimalistic architectural aesthetics effortlessly mix with timeless non secular iconography in these shrine complexes. Surrounded by monolithic buildings, the temples home an astounding 402 pillars, meticulously carved from 25,000 stone items.
ECO-FRIENDLY STRUCTURE
In keeping with sustainable practices, the temple building has included fly ash to exchange a good portion of cement within the concrete combine, thereby lowering its carbon footprint. Moreover, round 150 sensors monitor the construction’s temperature, stress, stress and seismic occasions, guaranteeing the protection and longevity of the temple.
No ferrous materials has been used, sustaining the purity of the spiritual house. To maintain the sacred house welcoming in all climate circumstances, nano tiles have been put in with designs to maintain guests comfy even in excessive warmth.
Open to individuals of all faiths, the temple invitations guests to discover and find out about Hindu tradition and spirituality.
ACCOLADES
The BAPS Hindu Mandir is just not solely an architectural marvel but additionally a beacon of non secular enlightenment and social service, managed by the worldwide community-based and volunteer-driven Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS).
The temple has already gained a number of accolades, together with the Finest Mechanical Undertaking of the Yr 2019, on the MEP Center East Awards, Finest Inside Design Idea of the Yr 2020, Finest Structure Type and Finest Conventional Nagar Type.
