Updated On: 12 February, 2024 10:38 PM IST | Editor
Preparations are in full swing in Abu Dhabi ahead of the inauguration of `BAPS Mandir,` the first Hindu temple, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 14

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Preparations are in full swing in Abu Dhabi ahead of the inauguration of `BAPS Mandir,` the first Hindu temple, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 14
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Volunteers of the temple have expressed their enthusiasm and termed it a "dream" that has come true for "everyone in the Indian community."

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Vishal Patel, a volunteer said, "I have been living in the UAE for over eight years, and I am a lead volunteer here at the BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi. We are incredibly excited. This Mandir is a dream come true for everyone in the Indian community, living here in the Middle East..."
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"And now we are so pleased and excited to see the honourable PM of India Narendra Modi coming on February 14," he said. "We are so so grateful to the leadership of UAE," Patel said

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The Madir, the first traditional Hindu temple in the United Arab Emirates, sits on 27 acres of land that was generously gifted by the UAE leadership
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Separately, another volunteer, Umesh Raja said that the gifting of land by the UAE rulers brings back to the community a "message of love, peace and harmony"
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The iconic Lalbaugcha Raja idol was shifted onto a raft on Sunday afternoon after delays since morning due to high tide and technical challenges, with final immersion, delayed by several hours, expected to take place around 11 pm, officials said.