The first Hindu temple in the UAE's capital Abu Dhabi witnessed a major construction milestone as the first concrete pouring ceremony for its raft foundation took place here, officials said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the Swaminarayan temple of the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sansth (BAPS) temple in 2018 via video conferencing from the Dubai Opera House.
Pujya Brahmavihari Swami and Pujya Akshaymunidas Swami held special prayers for the project in the presence of Pavan Kapoor, the Indian Ambassador to the UAE and Vipul, the Consul General of India to Dubai, Omar Al-Muthanna, CEO of the Community Development Authority and Mohandass Saini, CEO of Shapoorji Pallonji.
During the ceremony, Pujya Brahmavihari Swami said: "Today we are embarking upon the unique Mandir raft which is built using a combination of ancient technology with modern instrumentation."