4m visitors to Abu Dhabi Hindu temple; Sheikh Nahyan calls it a bridge between India-UAE

The BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi has welcomed more than four million visitors in just two years, emerging as a “powerful symbol” of India-UAE friendship.

Marking the temple’s second anniversary, Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, noted how the landmark has strengthened ties between the two nations and reinforced the UAE’s message of harmony.

“This splendid temple stands not only as a place of worship, but as a powerful symbol of shared human values,” he said during the temple’s second-anniversary celebrations.

“This remarkable temple is also a powerful symbol of the deep and enduring friendship between India and the United Arab Emirates. It stands as a bridge between us, strengthening mutual understanding and deepening goodwill between our two nations,” said Sheikh Nahyan.
“May this Mandir continue to be a source of spiritual strength, moral guidance, and community upliftment for many generations to come.”

The anniversary celebrations drew more than 8,000 devotees, with over 1,500 attending the special ‘Mandir Talks at 2’ assembly. Held under the theme Mandir: Our Family, Our Future, the event brought together community leaders, diplomats, families and children to reflect on the temple’s growing role as a centre for spiritual and cultural enrichment in the UAE.

Swami Brahmviharidas, Head of the Mandir, welcomed attendees on behalf of Mahant Swami Maharaj, the current spiritual head of BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, who inspired and inaugurated the temple.

Drawing a comparison with a growing child, Swami Brahmviharidas said the Mandir had moved beyond its first steps and was now expressing its message more widely.
“By the third year at the age of three, the Mandir will set you free,” he said, underlining that the temple’s message to the four million visitors it has welcomed, including dignitaries, ambassadors, tourists and devotees from more than 100 countries, has consistently been one of harmony.

Sharing a reflection from a former Egyptian ambassador who saw a carved panel depicting Egyptian civilisation on the Mandir wall, he quoted: “The pyramids are great because they speak of the past. The Mandir is equally great because it speaks to the future. Without harmony, we will have no future.”

Swami Brahmviharidas praised the UAE’s rulers, noting that families often express gratitude for making the temple possible.

“Before, people had to travel to India; now India has come here. Families express deep gratitude to the UAE’s rulers and to the Mandir itself, saying that while the UAE once felt like a home away from home, it has now truly become home within our home.” 

In the Year of Family, the “Mandir Talks” programme featured curated segments highlighting the temple’s impact globally, within families and across communities.

In “Mandir Talks to the World”, three envoys: Dr Deepak Mittal, Ambassador of India to the UAE; Patricio Broughton, Ambassador of Chile to the UAE; and Udaya Indrarathna, former Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the UAE, reflected on the temple’s universal message of harmony and coexistence.

The celebrations concluded with attendees pledging commitment to self-positivity, family values, national harmony and environmental responsibility.