BAPS Hindu Mandir Abu Dhabi To Have Varanasi-Like Ghat With Holy Water From Rivers Ganga And Yamuna
The BAPS Hindu Mandir, the first traditional Hindu Temple in the Middle East will be inaugurated by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday.
The majestic structure is built using pink sandstone from Rajasthan and is located in a 27-acre site in Abu Mureikhah, near Al Rahba off the Dubai-Abu Dhabi Sheikh Zayed Highway.?
Holy water from Rivers Ganga, Yamuna?
The grand temple also has several unique features.
One of them is a 'ghat' which the authorities say was built to resemble the ghat of Varanasi.
And holy water from the two rivers, Ganga and Yamuna will flow through it.
On the two sides of the temple, holy water flows from Ganga and Yamuna, which was brought from India in huge containers.
Ghat where people can sit and meditate
According to temple authorities, an amphitheatre in the shape of a ghat has been built on the side where the water from the Ganga flows.
"The idea was to make it resemble the ghat of Varanasi where the visitors can sit, meditate and get transported mentally to ghats back in India. When visitors walk in they will see two streams of water that symbolically represent the Ganga and Yamuna rivers in India. A beam of light to represent the river Saraswati will be directed from the temple structure to form 'Triveni' Sangam," said Vishal Patel, a lead volunteer at the iconic temple.
Sacred stones from Rajasthan used for temple
The temple's facade features exquisite marble carvings set against a sandstone backdrop, crafted from more than 25,000 pieces of stone.
According to Vishal Brahmabhatt, who supervises procurement and logistics at the site, more than two lakh cubic feet of "sacred" stone has been transported in more than 700 containers for the temple's construction.
The temple complex is bordered by buildings that house prayer halls, a community centre to host cultural events, a library, a children's park and an amphitheatre through which a stream cuts across.
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