PM Modi's UAE visit: All you need to know about Abu Dhabi's first Hindu temple BAPS Mandir

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a two-day visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), starting Tuesday, will inaugurate the country's first Hindu temple on Wednesday.

Further, in his departure statement, PM Modi added that the the BAPS temple will be an enduring tribute to the values of harmony, peace and tolerance, which both India and the UAE share.

Here's everything you need to know about the BAPS Mandir in Abu Dhabi:

• The BAPS Hindu Mandir will be the first traditional Hindu stone temple in the country, spread over a 27-acre piece of land and is located in Abu Dhabi's Abu Mureikhah district.


• According to an official release, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabu and deputy supreme commander of the UAE Armed Forces,  Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan donated 13.5 acres of land for the temple's construction in 2015. In January 2019, the government gifted an extra 13.5 acres of land.


• The temple's foundation stone was laid in April 2019 and construction began at the end of the year, in December. Reportedly,  the temple which reportedly has been constructed at a cost of 400 million United Arab Emirates dirhams.


• UAE's foreign secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra said that 2,000-5,000 devotees were expected to visit the temple on the inaugural day.


• The inauguration ceremony of temple will be celebrated as the "Festival of Harmony" and will witness a series of programmes and community events, which will focus on inspiring harmony, mobilising community service and improving faith.