On Wednesday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded a two-day visit to the Muslim country that is home to almost 3.5 million Indians by opening a palatial Hindu temple in the United Arab Emirates.
Tens of thousands of Indians flocked to a soccer stadium in Abu Dhabi’s capital the day before to support Modi, who is running for an unusual third term in the country’s forthcoming general election.
The Hindu nationalist Modi has strengthened New Delhi’s ties with the Middle East, as demonstrated by his visit to one of the country’s biggest commercial partners.
Critics at home claim that since Modi became prime minister in 2014, there has been an increase in religious polarization and that Indian Muslims, who account for 14% of the country’s 1.42 billion inhabitants, are being marginalized.
Following Modi’s dedication of a sizable temple in India last month, which was constructed on the place of a 16th-century mosque that was destroyed by a Hindu mob in 1992, the opening of the temple in a Muslim nation has received extensive domestic press coverage in that country.
The Hindu BAPS organization, which was established in Modi’s native Gujarat more than a century ago, donated the 27 acres in Abu Dhabi where the opulent temple was constructed at an estimated cost of $95 million to the UAE government.
In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a Gulf state with 1 million citizens who make up the majority of the country’s 10 million residents and workforce, Hindu temples have been there for decades.
In front of representatives of the UAE government, Bollywood actors, and the Indian community, Modi visited the temple accompanied by Hindu religious leaders and monks, performing rites and offering prayers.
“This temple represents the common history of all people. It represents the affection shared by Arabs and Indians. In front of an audience waving Indian and UAE flags, Modi said, “It reflects the philosophical connection between India and the UAE.”
Speaking at the inaugural ceremony, UAE Minister of Tolerance Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan commended Modi for forging stronger relationships and said the temple represented the UAE’s tolerance for a variety of faiths and nationalities.
India and the United Arab Emirates have strong relations, as evidenced by the opening of the first traditional, stone-carved Hindu temple on the Arabian Peninsula, the birthplace of Islam.
Modi expressed gratitude to Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al Nahyan, the president of the United Arab Emirates, whom he calls his brother, for approving the temple’s construction.
Since Modi became office, India’s ties with the powerful Middle Eastern nation, which date back more than a century, have grown.
During the visit, a number of agreements were made between the two nations, including a framework agreement on the development of a sea and rail commerce corridor from India to the UAE and through Middle Eastern countries, including Israel, to Europe.
According to Harsh V. Pant of the Indian think tank Observer Research Foundation, “this visit is more about consolidating an already very strong legacy in the Middle East.”
He claimed that the temple’s opening demonstrated how Modi pursues foreign policy on his own terms and has brought the idea of deeply ingrained Hinduism into Indian politics abroad.
Modi enjoys great popularity among the Hindu majority, who regard the leader—who has cultivated a strong man persona both domestically and among international leaders—as spearheading a Hindu resurgence in India.
Muslims in India claim that legislation imposed by Modi’s right-wing nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) interfere with their religious beliefs. Although there has been occasional violence between members of the two communities, Modi disputes this.
The seven spires of the Abu Dhabi temple, which was constructed with Italian marble and Rajasthani sandstone from India, symbolize the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates.
Hindu gods are portrayed alongside figures from other religions and historical civilizations, including as Islam, which is the only recognized religion in the Gulf state.
The temple’s Hindu spiritual leader, Pujya Brahmavihari Swami, told Reuters that the Abu Dhabi temple represented the unity of all religions.
“The art in this site is timeless. Values transcend time and cultural boundaries exist. Prior to its launch, he declared, “It is based on universal spiritual principles.
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