Members of the Indian community in the UAE dressed in traditional attires on Wednesday expressed joy in attending the inauguration of the first Hindu stone temple in Abu Dhabi, which has addressed their long-pending wish.
Dancing their way to the entry of the temple, Moksha Rangnekar, dressed up in a traditional Maharashtrian saree, led the group of people from her state.
"Our Ganpati now has a temple here. It is like an early ganpati mahotsav celebration for us this year. We have been waiting for this for years," Rangnekar, who has been living in the UAE for 32 years, told news agency PTI.
The temple is even more special for members of the Oriya community as it is the first temple in the UAE to have a Jagannath idol.
"There are temples in other parts of the UAE but there is no Jagannath idol there. It is a magical moment for us," said Kartik Singh, who works for an oil and gas company here.
Women from Bengali families performed "dhuni nach" at the entry of the temple premises.
"This is performed when we welcome Ma Durga and today we are welcoming our gods to the land we call home now," Stupta Das, an engineer, told PTI.
Children from Tamil Nadu dressed in traditional mundu were also seen.
Barki Gayatri Prakash from Bengaluru who used to live in the UAE till 2022 has come from India especially to attend the inauguration.
"I had even laid a brick when the construction was going on, though I have moved back to India now but I didn't want to miss the occasion. I used to miss going to a temple when I was here," she told PTI.
The first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi is set to be inaugurated later Wednesday. While the consecration ceremony for the idols began in the morning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead a dedication ceremony.
The temple has been built by the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha on a 27-acre site in Abu Mureikhah, near Al Rahba off the Dubai-Abu Dhabi Sheikh Zayed Highway, at a cost of around Rs 700 crore.
"The evening launch ceremony and Mandir dedication assembly will take place from 6 pm in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This occasion is bringing the message of harmony, love and tolerance to the entire world. Millions of Indians are excited for this glorious moment," a temple spokesperson said.
"When PM Modi visited here in 2015 and 2018 and officially announced this temple, there was a wave of enthusiasm among about 33 lakh Indians. It is noteworthy here that the generous donation of land for the temple was made by the rulers of the UAE," the spokesperson added.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
