Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated United Arab Emirates' (UAE) first Hind temple in Abu Dhabi, during his two-day visit to the Gulf nation.

The temple was built by the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), a denomination of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya, a Vaishnav sect of Hinduism.

PM Modi inaugurates the grand temple on Wednesday (Feb 14) in the presence of UAE's President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The temple is the epitome of communal harmony, a goal envisioned by both India and the UAE.

The temple is constructed on 27 acres of land, with 13.5 acres dedicated to the temple complex area and the other 13.5 acres allotted for parking which can accommodate 14,000 cars and 50 buses.

The 13.5 acres of land was gifted by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, 'a Muslim king,' for the construction of a Hindu temple, said a BAPS spokesperson.

What makes this temple special is the beautiful confluence of religions that led to its construction.

The lead architect of the BAPS Hindu Temple is a "Catholic Christian, the project manager a Sikh, the foundational designer a Buddhist, the construction company a Parsi group, and the director comes from the Jain tradition", as per BAPS spokesperson.

As per BAPS, Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the 10th spiritual guru and head of the sect, had envisioned a Hindu temple far away in the desert lands of Abu Dhabi in April 1997.

His vision was to bring countries, communities and cultures together, which aligned with the UAE's initiative to promote cultural diversity and tolerance.

During the foundation stone laying ceremony in April 2019, Mugheer Khamis Al Khaili, Chairman of the Department of Community Development, said, "Laying the foundation stone of the temple is reflective of the landscape of tolerance and pluralism in the UAE."

The temple has carvings of symbolic animals native to the UAE like camels, oryxes, and falcons. There are also 14 depictions of parables from Arabian, Egyptian, Mesopotamian, and other civilisations.