A stone Hindu temple will be built in Abu Dhabi by 2020.
The first in the Middle East, a traditional Hindu stone temple with hand-carved Indian craftsmen will be built by 2020 in Abu Dhabi.
The temple will open at Abu Mureikha, a BAPS spokesman for Swaminarayan Sanstha, which will design, build and manage the temple, said.
"The stones will be carved by temple artisans in India and assembled in the UAE. BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha is proud and touched by the invitation and honor to design, build and manage the Temple, which was honored by the rulers of the UAE and the government of India," he said.
The temple in the UAE will be unique among 1,200 BAPS-managed temples in India, the UK, the USA, Canada, Australia and Africa.
The temple will include a visitor center, prayer rooms, exhibition, training and dining areas, a sports ground for children, theme gardens, water features, a book and souvenir shop.
The temple will be open to people of all religions and will become part of the UAE's goal of promoting tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
"It will promote the traditional practice of the Hindu faith and serve more than 3.3 million Indians living in the United Arab Emirates and millions of foreign tourists visiting the UAE every year through interfaith dialogue, pluralism and universal values," said the spokesman.
According to people close to the project, the temple in Abu Dhabi will most likely look like a temple in the Indian capital of New Delhi and a building under construction in New Jersey.
