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  • The Independent

    First stone-built Hindu temple in the Middle East rises in the UAE ahead of Modi's latest visit

    by Jon Gambrell Feb 12, 2024 3 minutes
    Source: AP

    Pink sandstone spires soar above what was once a patch of desert between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, ornately decorated with deities and the pious in the first stone-constructed Hindu temple in the Middle East.

    The soon-to-open BAPS Hindu Mandir signals how far the United Arab Emirates has come in acknowledging the different faiths of its expatriate community, long dominated by Indians across construction sites and boardrooms. The temple nods back in its seven spires, the number of sheikhdoms in this autocratic federation on the Arabian Peninsula.

    It is also a sign and India.

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