THIRTY-FIVE officials of the government of the western Indian state of Gujarat, including some Indian Administrative Service officers, on Tuesday (5) visited the under-construction BAPS Hindu Temple in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, Ahmedabad Mirror reported. They are in the UAE to attend the Expo 2020 Dubai which kicked off recently.
The visit, which was organised by SJ Haider and led by Mamta Verma, Hareet Shukla, Neelam Rani, Rahul Gupta and some other officials from Gujarat went to the construction site to see the installation of the marble pillars that are central to the temple’s design.
The delegates took part in the Rivers of Harmony exhibit at the centre where they highlighted the purpose, history and construction of the temple.
“Stepping on this land makes me feel at home. I come from a humble background and feel connected to the earth. The place evokes energy and I hope I can serve as part of the project. The trip to Dubai would have been incomplete without a visit to the temple site,” Verma was quoted as saying by the Mirror.
One of the visitors Satyarth Srivastava said the temple is a historical landmark in the making and called it a true example of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ (the entire world is my family).
“To witness the journey of ideation and the execution on the ground is an extraordinary part of the visit,” advocate Khusbu Agrawal said.
India’s commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal recently made a digital analysis of the 3D translucent crystalline model of the upcoming BAPS temple, which is being showcased at the India pavilion of the Expo 2020 Dubai in the UAE. He said the temple will be amazing once completed.
Indian prime minister Narendra Mori laid the foundation stone for the temple in February 2018.
Zia Yusuf looks on during the party's national conference at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, Britain, September 5, 2025. REUTERS/Isabel Infantes