A Millennial Moment

How the Middle East’s First Traditional Hindu Stone Temple Came to Be Built

Celebration of diversity while inspiring global harmony is the central message of A Millennial Moment—A Mandir in the Middle East Transforming History and Hearts. The book relates how a Hindu temple, conceived in 1997, was approved, designed, constructed and, in 2024, consecrated in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates—all with the backing of the royal family and countless other supporters.

The author is journalist Bikram Vohra, who has served as the editor of two of the UAE’s leading English newspapers. He explains, “For a millennial moment that is timeless, multidimensional moments have to align to make magic happen.” Unexpected blessings, apparent only in retrospect, were showered all along the way, each at the perfect time. 

Narrated through the stories of various individuals who served the cause, the book is written in a free-flowing style, supplemented by photographs. A foreword by Dr. S. Jaishankar, India’s External Affairs Minister, discusses the genesis of the temple.

The inspiration to build a Hindu mandir in the UAE originated in a prophetic vision received by Pramukh Swami Maharaj in 1997. Seated on a sand dune about 65 miles north of the building site, he placed his foot in the sand and envisioned a temple. Woven throughout the book is the silent, invisible power of the guru, manifesting the divine plan in a seemingly miraculous way. The underlying thread of guru bhakti, arising out of complete surrender to his will, makes the book a delightful read. 

Beginning with architectural design approval, the royal family and the UAE government supported the construction of an elaborate, traditional-style building to showcase the heritage and legacy of Hindu temples. The plan was confirmed by HH Sheikh Abdullah’s visit to the BAPS Akshardham Temple in Gujarat, where he personally experienced that temple’s grandeur. 

The UAE’s royal family was most generous in demonstrating their inclusivity and support for religious harmony. Beyond the initial 2.5 acres, the family gifted additional land parcels on three separate occasions, bringing the total to 27 acres. The temple was inaugurated on February 14, 2024, and the local media responded with supportive reports.

In addition to showcasing traditional Hindu art and architecture, the Abu Dhabi Hindu Mandir is a modern technological marvel. The author explains, “For the first time in history, a traditional Hindu temple has been fully digitally modeled and put through extreme seismic simulations. More than 300 sensors have been embedded at different levels to provide live data of changes in temperature, pressure, movement and stress upon the temple structure.”

Following the 1977 benediction by Shri Pramukh Swami Maharaj, over two decades passed before the temple doors opened to all. During these years, several individuals—whether or not they were devotees or even practicing Hindus—recognized the sacred purpose and gifted their time and other resources. Their offerings demonstrated the pure unconditional divine love, the driver of this undertaking, that was touching the hearts of these souls. Nothing happens by coincidence: these individuals who were aligned with the purpose were somehow brought to the right place at the right time. 

The exact location of the temple was divinely orchestrated. Just three feet below the temple site is a thick stratum of sandstone. This solid base considerably reduced the scope of the structural engineering work that would have been required on a deep sand base. 

The book recounts several serendipitous events. In one, the swamis made an unplanned landing on a mosque’s helipad in Rajasthan while en route to Gujarat and were warmly welcomed. Later, when Swami Brahmaviharidas sought an expert in 3D printing to create temple models, help came from an unexpected source. Muffadal Ali, a specialist associated with that very same mosque, volunteered to produce all the models free of charge.

A main source for this book review was Swami Brahmaviharidas, current head of BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi and International Coordinator of BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha. “The temple stands as a testament to harmony and tolerance. And I use the word tolerance shorn of the negative connotation that to tolerate is to endure. On the contrary, tolerance in this context means more than just endurance, it is the willingness to accept and respect differences and diversities. Even if it is a one-way street, it is worth being so with everyone.” On another occasion, Swami added, “The temple must captivate, not capture; it must elevate, not deviate. It must let you leave a better person. It should become a spiritual oasis for global harmony.”

The very existence of this temple testifies to a major shift toward progressiveness for the UAE. Even for home use, religious images were perceived to contradict Islamic values and were generally not allowed into the country. But the country had already begun taking steps toward inclusivity: the previous February had seen the inauguration of an interfaith complex in Abu Dhabi called the Abrahamic Family House, containing a mosque, a church and a synagogue.  

In conclusion, this book is a good read to get acquainted with the birthing journey of the Abu Dhabi Hindu Mandir. As Swami Brahmaviharidas aptly said, “Celebrating the past, calibrating the present and creating the future, BAPS Hindu Mandir amalgamates ancient art and architecture, modern science and technology, universal values and spirituality.” 

He added, “Perhaps a hundred years from today, when time has given the stones a new sheen and the staying power has maintained the temple’s pristine condition, there will emanate from its walls that sense of togetherness and unity, and indeed, tolerance, which in the third decade of the twenty-first century were commodities in short supply.” A millennial moment indeed, filled with what appears to be a millennial movement!

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