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Updated June 2024

The multi-cultural UAE is home to a thriving Hindu community, with many families having ancestral roots in the country. Dubai already has quite a few Hindu temples. And now, much to the delight of Hindus outside Dubai, Abu Dhabi, too, has gotten its very first Hindu stone temple—BAPS Hindu Mandir!

Keep reading the article by Wego to learn more about the Abu Dhabi Hindu temple.

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BAPS Hindu Mandir

The BAPS Hindu Mandir is a Hindu place of worship in Abu Dhabi, consisting of exquisite marble-and-sandstone shrines, an amphitheatre, an exhibition hall, a library and book shop, classrooms, a sports centre, a food court, a majlis, thematic gardens, and two community centres with a total capacity to seat 5,000 people.

The seven shrines of the Mandir are a nod of respect to the seven Emirates of the UAE and will house idols of:

Akshar & Purushottam
Radha and Krishna
Ram, Sita, and Hanuman
Shiv, Parvati, Kartikeya and Ganesh
Jagannathji, Subhadra and Baldevji
Tirupati Balaji and Padmavati
Ayyappa Swami.

The premises of this ‘spiritual oasis of global harmony’ sprawls over a whopping 55,000 square meters.

The Mandir is headed by Swami Brahmaviharidas.

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BAPS Hindu Mandir full form

The construction of the Abu Dhabi Hindu temple was undertaken by the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam (BAPS) Swaminarayan Sanstha, a religious organization that has already completed over 1,100 Hindu shrines in different parts of the world.

BAPS Hindu Mandir location and map

The Abu Dhabi Hindu Mandir is located on the P6 Al Taf Road (E16), in the Abu Mureikha area, near Al Rahba off the Dubai–Abu Dhabi Sheikh Zayed Highway.

Located between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, the temple is accessible from the Abu Dhabi – Ghuweifat Highway (E11).

Click here for the Google Maps location and directions.

Abu Dhabi Hindu Temple opening date and inauguration

The BAPS Hindu Mandir opened its doors to devotees on 18 February 2024.

The much-anticipated inauguration of the temple took place on the evening of the auspicious day of Basant Panchami, 14 February 2024, and was celebrated with a colorful “Festival of Harmony.” His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj, the present spiritual guru of the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened the BAPS Hindu Mandir with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The Vedic ceremony attended by Prime Minister Modi was presided over by Mahant Swami Maharaj, who had presided over the consecration of the temple in the morning.

Members of the country’s Indian community participated in the celebrations through a public dedication assembly on 15 February 2024, which was graced by Swami Maharaj.

Cultural significance of the Abu Dhabi Hindu temple

The project was launched by the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, during his visit to the UAE in 2018. The land on which the Mandir will be erected was gifted to Modi by the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. In September 2019, it became the first Hindu religious place to be granted an official license by the authorities.

Being built with stone and pink sandstone specially imported from Rajasthan, India, the temple is expected to last at least a thousand years.

The structure is 32 meters tall and features engravings portraying the stories of Hindu gods friezes decorated with various artists and animals, and over a thousand carvings of deities in the exterior brackets. The steps to the temple depict the teachings of other ancient civilizations, like the Mayans.

As per Hindu traditions, the temple did not use iron or steel reinforcements in its construction work. Instead, it took sustainability measures such as a green foundation with 55% fly ash, eco-friendly construction materials like earthen bricks and stone, a solar power arrangement, and water conservation energy methods.

BAPS Hindu Mandir Abu Dhabi photos and videos

Several photos and videos have been released on the official website of the Abu Dhabi Hindu temple, showcasing the remarkable project. Take a look below.