Visited the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Abu Dhabi today.
A culmination of a dream that we had seen in August 2015, when the announcement was first made.
Nine years later, stepped foot inside the magnificent larger-than-life structure that will stand testimony to the friendship between UAE and India for decades to come!
A little over a year back, I had the opportunity to visit the mandir when it was under construction, and also place a brick in the structure. Here is what I had written about it then…
Witnessed a beautiful sight this Ekādashi – the rise of the first stone mandir in Abu Dhabi.
I don’t want to get into the details of the structure – you can google it if you want.
The thing that I liked the most though were the carvings – stories etched in stone – kathas of the Ramayana, episodes from the Mahabharata, and thousands of others – waiting to be discovered as the Mandir opens in February next year.
An opportunity for kids to discover their origins, and for adults to rediscover them.
From the time of the announcement, when Modiji took stage in 2015 and announced the mandir in front of a 50,000+ crowd (with me in it), to the visit today and beyond, it’s surreal that I am a small part among many in this story rising out a desert. My brick will find place in thousands of others, and together, will form a tapestry of a 1000 years that will stand testimony to the rich heritage that has brought us so far.
See you in Feb!