Continuing its legacy of landmarks dotting the global skyline, India’s leading business house – the Shapoorji Pallonji Group (S P Group) – announced the successful completion of the first Hindu temple in the Middle East – the BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi (UAE), which was inaugurated on 14^th February, 2024, by PM Narendra Modi, in a grand ceremony. Nestled in 27 acres of desert land donated by former crown prince – Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, this architectural marvel towers over the sandy landscape of the UAE, marking a historic milestone in strengthening bilateral relations between India and the UAE.

An initiative of the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha the temple is open to all faiths, a testament to India’s culture, and its ancient skills in architecture and sculpture. Successfully integrating modern technology with traditional requirements of ancient Indian architecture, the temple is built in strict accordance with age-old Indian texts, deriving inspiration from a lotus motif and comprising 7 spires, representing the 7 Emirates of the UAE.

“We are deeply honoured to have had the opportunity to work with BAPS and create this incredible monument that brings together art, harmony and faith… this is a testament to our engineering expertise,” said Shapoorji P. Mistry, Chairman, Shapoorji Pallonji Group. Pranav Desai, Director of BAPS lauded the pivotal role played by the SP Group and extended gratitude for bringing to life their vision of this “spiritual oasis for global harmony”.

The temple complex comprises 7 ancillary buildings, to cater to 15,000+ visitors daily; distinctive water features representing the rivers – Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati. The main temple is constructed on a raft foundation, made of bamboo sticks and glass fibre instead of iron and steel reinforcements, which holds the façade made of 40,000 cubic meters of Italian marble and 1,80,000 cubic meters of pink sandstone from Rajasthan. Thousands of artisans and volunteers intricately carved the stones in Rajasthan, for BAPS, later put together in Abu Dhabi.

With an employee base of over 35,000, 159-year-old S P Group has been building megastructures and driving innovative technologies, delivering end-to-end solutions across 40 nations, with a presence in the Middle East for nearly 50 years, constructing the Sultan’s Palace in Muscat (1975).