The UAE’s first Hindu stone temple drew nearly 65,000 devotees on its first day of operation, which was on Sunday. The BAPS Hindu Mandir, which was recently inaugurated by PM Modi, saw approximately 40,000 visitors in the morning and 25,000 in the evening, for a total of 65,000 by the end of the day. Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal also paid a visit to the temple on its opening day, staying for nearly three hours.
Sumant Rai, one of the visitors, praised the crowd management, saying: “I’ve never seen such amazing order in the midst of thousands of people. I was worried about having to wait for hours and not being able to do darshan peacefully, but we had an amazing darshan and were very pleased. Congratulations to all the BAPS volunteers and mandir staff.”
Luis from Mexico complimented the temple’s architecture, saying, “The architecture and intricate details in the stones are amazing.” I really appreciate the opportunity to see India’s cultural heritage. People, please join!”
Piyush, based in the United States, emphasized the temple’s diplomatic importance, saying, “The opening of this Mandir is a testament to the UAE’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.
It’s a lovely depiction of unity among diverse communities.”
Sadhu Bramhaviharidas reflected on the historic significance of the opening Sunday for the public, saying: “We are deeply grateful to the UAE’s leaders and local authorities for the new bus services and their overall support in making this day a reality. I’d also like to thank the pilgrims for their patience and understanding throughout their visit. This Mandir will be a spiritual beacon and a symbol of harmony, uniting people from various backgrounds and beliefs.”
To commemorate the weekend visits, the UAE government established a new bus route (203) connecting Abu Dhabi and the Mandir. On February 14, Prime Minister Modi unveiled the Abu Dhabi temple in the presence of Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahyan, the UAE’s tolerance and coexistence minister.