'Hundreds of thousands' expected at Baps Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi for Diwali celebrations

Guidelines in place to manage crowds at the site this week

The Baps Hindu Mandir recorded a milestone of one million visitors in the first 100 days after it opened. Pawan Singh / The National

The Baps Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi has drawn up comprehensive plans to help prepare for “hundreds of thousands of visitors” expected to attend the site's first Diwali celebrations.

The place of worship has already attracted more than 1.5 million visitors since opening in February and is braced for a significant increase this week during one of the biggest festivals in the Hindu calendar. Organisers have issued guidelines, in partnership with Abu Dhabi Police and government authorities, to manage traffic and queuing in the temple and provide sufficient parking for the busy holiday.

The temple overhauled visitor procedures in April – including introducing an online registration system – after receiving “astronomical” demand from revellers marking the festival of Ugadi, similar to New Year's Day in the Hindu calendar. The religious festival also coincided with a public holiday for people in the Emirates to mark Eid Al Fitr.

“Special festival arrangements have been made by the Abu Dhabi police and relevant government authorities to facilitate traffic, parking, security and queues,” the Baps Hindu Mandir team said on Monday.

The temple said hundreds of volunteers have been enlisted to support preparations for “hundreds of thousands of visitors for its first grand Diwali”.

Diwali guidelines in place

• All visitors are required to register before arriving at the temple
• Visitors arriving in their own vehicle must park at Al Shahama F1 Parking
• Frequent bus shuttles will be provided by the government from the event parking site to the temple complex
• People are asked not to bring bags and metal objects, including jewellery and other valuables
• Allow a minimum of two hours for your visit

The temple will host a Diwali Darshan event from 9am until 9pm on Thursday, October 31 and an Annukut Darshan (festival of food) event from 9am to 9pm on Saturday, November 2 and Sunday, November 3.

Diwali – the festival of happiness, prosperity and light – is marked by millions of Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists worldwide. Many honour Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth during the festival. It is said that the goddess looks for homes where she will be welcomed, so people leave their windows and doors open, lighting lamps to welcome her in.

This year, celebrations are set to begin on October 29 with Dhanteras, with the main Diwali meant to fall on October 31. However, the Amavasya Tithi or the lunar phase of the new moon in Sanskrit, spans October 31 and November 1 this year, causing some confusion among observers.

After a meeting of more than 100 astrologers, religious scholars and Sanskrit scholars from across India, called the Deepawali Nirnay Dharmasabha, a resolution was passed to celebrate the main day of the festival on October 31.

A host of activities will be held in the UAE – from large-scale events to intimate family gatherings – to mark Diwali.

Landmark attraction

A 12-minute film titled The Fairy Tale tells the story of the creation of Abu Dhabi's first Baps Hindu temple. All photos: Baps Hindu Mandir

The Fairy Tale touches on how the idea of the temple was conceived by a spiritual guru of the Baps Swaminarayan Sanstha on the sand dunes in Sharjah in 1997

The film weaves photographs, graphics, animation and 3D illustration to chart the history of the temple

The temple opens its doors visitors of all faiths and aims to reflect the UAE's example of respect, harmony and tolerance

Temple authorities are bracing for a surge in visitor numbers over the next couple of months

The film can be viewed in a small theatre on the temple grounds and is free to children under the age of 12 and people with special needs

More than 65,000 people were there on the first Sunday in March when the temple opened to the public. There was an inauguration in February by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Pawan Singh / The National

The seven spires of the represent the Seven Emirates of the UAE. Pawan Singh / The National

Sculptors in Indian villages hand-carved the pink sandstone used to build the temple. Pawan Singh / The National

The temple has a central dome representing harmony to show co-existence with carvings of earth, water, fire, air and plants. Pawan Singh / The National

The temple in Abu Mureikha area hit a milestone of one million visitors within its first 100 days. Built on land granted by President Sheikh Mohamed, when he was the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, the temple is off the main motorway connecting Dubai to Abu Dhabi.

When the Baps Hindu temple formally opened on February 14, people began queuing to enter the structure made from hand-carved stone and marble. About 65,000 people turned out at the temple on the first Sunday, March 3, that the shrine opened its doors to the public, weeks after its inauguration by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.