New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s last foreign trip as India’s Prime Minister could be to the UAE. The purpose is to lay the foundation stone of the first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi. 

India and the UAE are engaged in talks to organise a visit by Prime Minister Modi on April 20.

According to the officials concerned, this will be Prime Minister Modi’s last trip abroad in his current term if he visits Abu Dhabi on April 20. 

The Prime Minister is expected to fly to Abu Dhabi to inaugurate the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Sanstha (BAPS) temple where he will be the chief guest for the ceremony. However, the temple authorities have denied any information about his arrival.

According to the temple officials, the shilanyas ceremony would be presided over by the spiritual leader of the BAPS, Mahant Swami Maharaj, “in the presence of the leadership of the nation”. The Shilanyas ceremony is a sacred Hindu ritual wherein the first foundation stones are sanctified and fixed on the ground as the base of the temple.

According to media reports, the two nations are in talks, organising a successful visit by the Prime Minister. The UAE government has appraised Delhi about the local sentiments that could be associated with the event ahead of Ramadan. PM’s visit will also be significant for India which goes for seven phase poll starting from April 11. 

Modi had unveiled the model structure of the temple during his February 2018 visit to the UAE. He witnessed the live streaming of the ground-breaking ceremony, in which the sanctification of the land was performed at the temple site on February 11.

The temple, sitting on a 14-acre land at Abu Mureikhah in Al Rahba off the Abu Dhabi-Sweihan road complex, will welcome thousands of devotees on April 20. 

Pink stone from Rajasthan and marble from Macedonia will be brought to the sculpting sites in India in the coming months. Craftsmen will begin work for the landmark structure with seven spires, which will represent the UAE’s seven emirates. 
Once the sculpting is complete, the stones will be transported to Abu Dhabi and assembled on the site here in Abu Dhabi.

Timeline

Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi
 
2015: UAE decides to allot land for the temple during PM's visit

2017: Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi gifts a 13.7-acre plot of land for the temple

11 Feb 2018: PM Modi unveiled a model of the temple in Dubai

20 Apr 2019: Foundation laying ceremony