The Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) temple administration has appealed to devotees not to visit the Hindu temple recently inaugurated in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, for the next few days. The authority said devotees should avoid visiting the temple for the next few days, given the possibility of heavy rains and storms in the country.
The National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA) of the UAE has issued a warning of rain and storm in Abu Dhabi, advising the general public not to leave their homes without any urgent work. According to a Khaleej Times report, light to heavy rain occurred in many parts of Abu Dhabi and its suburbs on Friday.
Thousands of devotees visit this Hindu temple on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi during weekends. BAPS requested all devotees and other visitors to avoid travelling to the temple and instead offer prayers from the safety of their homes.
A BAPS temple spokesperson said special prayer ceremonies and rituals were performed inside the temple on Friday to mark the Hindu festival Mahashivratri.
The BAPS Hindu Temple located in Abu Dhabi, the UAE, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 14 February. The prime minister thanked UAE President Mohammad Zayed bin Al Nahyan on the occasion.
Keeping in view the possibility of unmanageable crowds in the temple premises after the inauguration on 29 February, only those people who had registered were allowed to have darshan. The temple was opened to the public on 1 March, after which people thronged the temple.
The first Hindu temple of its kind built in Abu Dhabi has been built for Rs 700 crore. It was constructed in the Nagara style of architecture. The Ram temple of Ayodhya is built in this style too.
The UAE government donated land for the BAPS Hindu Temple built on an area of 27 acre. The temple is constructed of limestone. The builder carved 20,000 tonnes of stones in Rajasthan and brought them to Abu Dhabi.
