BAPS Temple

• Context (IE): During a two-day visit to UAE, PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the BAPS Swaminarayan temple in Abu Dhabi.
• The BAPS temple is the first Hindu temple in the UAE.
• It is built at an estimated cost of Rs 700 crore.
• It is located in the Abu Mureikha area, about 50 km from the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.
• The land for the temple complex has been built was gifted by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan (President of the UAE) in 2015.
• It is Spread over 27 acres, and the temple complex is on 13.5 acres.
• It was first envisioned by Pramukh Swami Maharaj, spiritual leader of the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, in 1997.

About BAPS

• BAPS stands for Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (A Vaishnav sect of Hinduism), a Hindu denomination within the Swaminarayan Sampradaya.
• The organisation was founded in 1907 by Shastriji Maharaj.
• BAPS is a socio-spiritual Hindu faith with roots in the Vedas.
• Bhagwan Swaminarayan (1781-1830) revealed the faith in the late 18th century
• BAPS has a network of around 1,550 temples across the world.
• Notable Temples: It includes the Akshardham temples in New Delhi and Gandhinagar and Swaminarayan temples in London, Houston, Chicago, Atlanta, Toronto, Los Angeles, and Nairobi.

Architecture of the Temple

• It is Built in the traditional Nagara style with seven shikhars.
  • The shikhara is adorned with depictions of deities such as Venkateshwara, Swaminarayan, Jagannath, and Ayyappa.
• The temple’s front panel depicts universal values, stories of harmony from different cultures, Hindu spiritual leaders and avatars.
• The temple has two central domes, the Dome of Harmony and the Dome of Peace, emphasising human coexistence through the carvings of earth, water, fire, air, and plants.
• A Wall of Harmony, one of the most enormous 3D-printed walls in the UAE, features a video showcasing critical milestones of the temple’s construction.
• No ferrous material (which is more vulnerable to corrosion) has been used in the temple.
• The external facade uses pink sandstone from Rajasthan, and the interior uses Italian marble.
• There are 96 bells and gaumukhs installed around the path leading to the temple.
  • These 96 bells are a tribute to Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s 96 years of life.
• Nano tiles have been used, which will be comfortable for visitors to walk on even in the hot weather.
• There is a particular pillar called the ‘Pillar of Pillars’, which has around 1,400 small pillars carved into it.
• Buildings surrounding the temple are modern and monolithic, with their colour resembling dunes.
• Deities from all four corners of India have been featured in the temple.
• A ‘holy river’ surrounds it, for which waters from Ganga and Yamuna have been brought in.
  • The river Saraswati has been depicted in the form of white light.
  • A Varanasi-like ghat has been created where the ‘Ganga’ passes.

Significance of the Temple

• Represents cultural unity and cooperation.
• Symbolizes mutual respect and cooperation between India and UAE.
• Seven shikhara represent seven Emirates of UAE.
• A Wall of Harmony features a video showcasing critical milestones of the temple’s construction.
  • The word ‘harmony’ has been written in 30 different ancient and modern languages.
• The temple was judged the Best Mechanical Project of the Year 2019 at the MEP Middle East Awards and the Best Interior Design Concept of the Year 2020.
• Value tales from Indian civilisation, Maya civilisation, Aztec civilisation, Egyptian civilisation, Arabic civilisation, European civilisation, Chinese civilisation and African civilisation have also been depicted.
• A symbol of communal Harmony:
  1. A Muslim king donated land,
  2. The lead architect is a Catholic Christian,
  3. The project manager is a Sikh,
  4. The foundational designer is a Buddhist,
  5. The construction company is a Parsi group, and
  6. The director comes from the Jain tradition.