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The BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi is the first Hindu temple in UAE, situated in the capital’s Abu Mureikha area
The Diwali and Annakut at BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi.
BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi saw a grand Annakut on the occasion of Govardhan Puja.
Govardhan Puja, also known as the Annakut festival, is celebrated on the Pratipada of Kartik Shukla Paksha, which falls on the day after Diwali. This festival honours Lord Krishna’s triumph over Lord Indra and is marked with devotion and celebration, especially in regions like Mathura, Vrindavan, Govardhan, and Braj.
It is a day dedicated to worshipping Govardhan Hill, Lord Krishna, cows, and Nandi. According to the legend, during the Dwapara Yuga, Lord Krishna encouraged the people of Gokul to worship Govardhan Hill instead of Indra, who they believed controlled the rains vital for their crops. Krishna taught them that Govardhan Mountain itself sustained and protected their lands. Enraged by this shift in devotion, Indra unleashed torrential rains on Gokul, threatening the villagers.
Lord Krishna, in response, lifted the Govardhan Hill on his little finger to shield the people and their cattle from the downpour.
Eventually, Indra recognised Krishna’s divine power, abandoned his pride, and sought forgiveness. During this time, the villagers gathered vegetables from their homes to prepare a dish, marking the origin of the Annakut (meaning mountain of food) tradition.
In Maharashtra, this day is celebrated as Bali Pratipada or Bali Padwa.
INAUGURATED BY PM MODI
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the temple in Abu Dhabi on February 14. The BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi is the first Hindu temple in UAE, situated in the capital’s Abu Mureikha area.
During PM Modi’s first visit to the UAE in 2015, the UAE decided to allot land for building a temple in Abu Dhabi. The PM’s visit was crucial diplomatically as he became the first Indian Prime Minister after Indira Gandhi to visit this strategic Gulf nation in 34 years.
The temple has been made of 40,000 cubic metres of marble, 1,80,000 cubic metres of sandstone and over 1.8 million bricks.
The temple’s design draws inspiration from Vedic architecture and sculptures. Many of the statues and carvings have been done by artisans in India and have been shipped to Abu Dhabi.
ABOUT BAPS
BAPS stands for the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS). The organisation is named after Bhagwan Swaminarayan, a religious leader who lived in the late 1700s.
It is a socio-spiritual Hindu faith with its roots in the vedas and was pioneered by Bhagwan Swaminarayan (1781-1830) in the late 18th century and established in 1907 by Shastriji Maharaj (1865-1951), according to the BAPS website.
The BAPS claims to run over 3,850 centres across the world and 1,100 temples. The organisation was also behind the Akshardham in Robbinsville, New Jersey, which is also the world’s largest Hindu temple outside of India.
Akshardham Mahamandir, located 99 kilometres south of New York City, is in an area of 185 acres in New Jersey and stands at 191 feet high. During the construction of the temple, 1.9 million cubic feet of stone were used and brought from over 29 different sites around the world, including Bulgaria, Italy, Greece, Turkey and India. The Akshardham temples in Delhi and Gujarat are also run by BAPS.