Inaugurated by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi last year, the Baps Hindu Mandir off Abu Dhabi is the first temple of that scale in the middle-east, and the the number of Hindus working in the region, it is but a valued addition! The temple is similar to all its peers across the world, yet is so absolutely wonderful to see in real. The best part is the immersive 3d show that explains in detail all about the temple, how it came to be and the fact that it’s being is somewhat an amalgamation of all religions. The land was donated by an Islamic sheikh, the architect a Christian, the project manager an atheist and so on! The valuable insight of having the tenets of Hinduism scale across boundaries made be realise how this ancient and brilliant religion is a minority religion in the world. And just two or so countries embrace this religion, with Nepal being the only country that states it as an official state religion, in India and Srilanka, it is just one of the religions. And with such a minority in general, it is oxymoronic in nature that India gives so much preference to minority religions in the country that are actually major religions in the world!
I feel proud and incredibly lucky to be a Hindu, just with the way the religion lays itself out, the mythological stories, the lifestyle, the festivals, the colour and gaiety! Being in that temple made me proud to be a Hindu, to embrace our very many Gods around who we have millions of stories, making them real and relatable, yet virtuous and God-like. With the kumbh mela on, I watch on with pride as millions across the world come forward to enjoy the spectacle of Hinduism. I congratulate whoever made BAPS in Abu Dhabi possible, yet with the lore, the books, the Vedas, the might of Hinduism, there is much to learn for the majority!
Vedasri Siddamsetty 