Thousands of worshippers gathered in Abu Dhabi on Saturday to take part in the foundation stone-laying ceremony for the first Hindu temple in the UAE.
Senior government ministers, ambassadors and religious devotees from around the world joined priests in a mahapuja – or grand prayer – to mark the occasion.
Once completed, the impressive structure – sculpted from pink sandstone and marble – will further symbolise the country’s continuing openness to religious freedom.
Its seven distinctive spires representing each emirate will soar skywards, creating a unique landmark embodying the virtues of peace and acceptance.
“It will represent the harmony and tolerance of the country,” said Mugheer Khamis Al Khaili, chairman of the UAE’s Department of Community Development.
“The people of India are essential to this country. This shows our long years of friendship.”
The decision to build the temple in the nation’s capital came after Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed agreed to provide the 10.9-hectare site as a gift.
Organisers have said its construction reflected the spirit of the founding father Sheikh Zayed.
On Saturday, some 5,000 worshippers turned out to witness the foundation ceremony, known in Hindu as shilanyas vidhi.
Priests chanted verses in Sanskrit while devotees performed an elaborate ritual from inside a large, white tent.
Initially, sages poured a mixture of water, yogurt, honey and ghee over a small, gold-plated deity.
Water and flower petals were then sprinkled onto thousands of small, brick-sized foundation stones as they were blessed.
Dr Thani Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, Ahmed Al Falasi, Minister of State for Higher Education, Mr Al Khaili and billionaire Indian businessman BR Shetty, also sprinkled water brought from the Indian rivers of Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati before the main foundation stone, known as the shila, was laid in the ground.
“The stone ceremony is a community event that symbolises the spiritual harmony that exists within the UAE,” said Swami Brahmavihari, a senior Hindu priest handling international relations for Baps Swaminarayan Sanstha, the organisation building the temple.
“The ceremony also illustrates that the rulers of the UAE view every soul living within the country as equal and who are free to practice their faith freely and openly.”
Carved largely from pink sandstone blocks by craftsmen in India, the elaborate temple could be completed as soon as next year.
Swami Brahmavihari said its doors would be open for traditional wedding ceremonies for Hindu couples as well as for celebrations and festivities of other faiths.
“The significance is tremendous as it will provide a community home to Hindus and Non-Hindus alike,” he said.
“We have thousands of Hindus living within the UAE that have settled from countries all over the world who can now celebrate their faith in a temple that is of similar stature to that of their home countries.”
Swami Brahmavihari went on to recall a visit to the presidential palace last year when Sheikh Mohamed was shown two potential designs for the project.
“The Crown Prince chose the traditional temple with carved pinnacles because that is the openness of this nation,” said Swami Brahmavihari.
“The other design was a closed structure that looked like a normal building and the temple would be inside.”
Swami Brahmavihari described the two-hour foundation ceremony as immensely special – one which Indians would remember for generations to come.
“This is an auspicious day because this is the beginning of a dream of the Indian community to have a temple in the UAE,” he said.
“It has sent a signal of global inclusiveness across the world.”
After the stones were laid, a short video was played to the crowd showing a virtual tour of the completed temple.
Footage revealed vast, arched domes, striking columns and etched pillars, all surrounded by trees and intricate water channels representing Indian rivers.
Swami Brahmavihari said the project truly reflected the UAE’s continued commitment to multiculturalism.
“Imagine a Muslim country donating land for a Hindu temple in which the lead designer is a Christian and it will be built by a Singaporean company,” he said.
"This is the spirit of the mandir [temple]. It will be a spiritual oasis. It will be a universal area that belongs to all those who use it."
Other dignitaries at the event also expressed thanks to the UAE for agreeing to the temple’s construction in the Abu Mureikha area of Abu Dhabi.
“There is clear vision and leadership to promote a spirit of tolerance and you see multiple manifestations of this,” said Navdeep Suri, the Indian ambassador to the country.
He pointed to the recent visit of Pope Francis and the subsequent signing of the declaration of fraternity for peace between nations with Dr Ahmed Al Tayed, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar.
“I see the temple as a continuum of the tolerance in this Year of Tolerance,” Mr Suri said.
“It will be a visual symbol of what the UAE is trying to inculcate. This will be the eternal bridge of friendship between our nations, our cultures and civilisations.”
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s contribution to the temple was also acknowledged. Mr Modi announced plans for the temple four years ago during his first visit to the UAE as Prime Minister.
Mr Suri read out a message from Mr Modi focusing on the values shared by both nations.
“This temple is an expression of the UAE’s love, friendship and faith in India and the Indian community,” Mr Modi said in his message.
“The temple will reflect India’s timeless values of faith, harmony and love, and will be a source of inspiration for Indians residing in the UAE and for people of all communities.”
Thousands more worshippers gathered within a second tent at the ceremony to watch the prayers on large screens. Many had travelled long distances to bear witness to the historic occasion.
“This will be a unique temple and we wanted to be here on the first day it came into being,” said Alka Patel, from Chicago, USA.
“This is not only for spirituality but it is a historic message that we can all live in peace and harmony.
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The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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