Pavan Kapoor, Indian ambassador to the UAE, with Swami Brahmavihari, from Baps Swaminarayan Sanstha with the stone carvings that are at the site in Abu Dhabi. Baps Swaminarayan Sanstha is overseeing the construction. All photos courtesy Baps Swaminarayan Sanstha
Pavan Kapoor, Indian ambassador to the UAE, with Swami Brahmavihari, from Baps Swaminarayan Sanstha with the stone carvings that are at the site in Abu Dhabi. Baps Swaminarayan Sanstha is overseeing the construction. All photos courtesy Baps Swaminarayan Sanstha
More than 40 containers carrying 750 tonnes of carved and semi-carved pink sandstone has arrived at the Abu Dhabi site.
More than 40 containers carrying 750 tonnes of carved and semi-carved pink sandstone has arrived at the Abu Dhabi site.
Hundreds more of such marble and stone carvings will arrive from India over the next few years.
Hundreds more of such marble and stone carvings will arrive from India over the next few years.
Engraved with flower and nature motifs, they are the first of thousands of carvings to reach the UAE.
Engraved with flower and nature motifs, they are the first of thousands of carvings to reach the UAE.
Flower and nature motifs are engraved on many stone slabs.
Flower and nature motifs are engraved on many stone slabs.
The temple group hopes to organise a viewing deck from which the construction can be seen by residents and tourists
The temple group hopes to organise a viewing deck from which the construction can be seen by residents and tourists
Workers deposit wooden crates with stone carvings across the Hindu temple site in Abu Mureikha area.
Workers deposit wooden crates with stone carvings across the Hindu temple site in Abu Mureikha area.
Stone slabs from India being transported at the Hindu temple site in Abu Dhabi
Stone slabs from India being transported at the Hindu temple site in Abu Dhabi
Drawings on site show where the intricate stone carvings will be set up.
Drawings on site show where the intricate stone carvings will be set up.
Workers and officials look at plans.
Workers and officials look at plans.
Officials scan etchings of deities that will carved on the pillars of the Hindu temple being constructed in Abu Dhabi.
Officials scan etchings of deities that will carved on the pillars of the Hindu temple being constructed in Abu Dhabi.
The shrine will be the largest in the country when it is completed in 2023.
The shrine will be the largest in the country when it is completed in 2023.
Rows of crates containing the stone panels have been laid out near the ground-level structure of the building
Rows of crates containing the stone panels have been laid out near the ground-level structure of the building
The shrine will have no steel reinforcements and the panels will be assembled like a giant jigsaw puzzle.
The shrine will have no steel reinforcements and the panels will be assembled like a giant jigsaw puzzle.
The site is located in Abu Mureikha area off Sheikh Zayed road between Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
The site is located in Abu Mureikha area off Sheikh Zayed road between Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

Heritage

First stone carvings for Abu Dhabi's landmark Hindu temple arrive in capital

Columns hand carved by sculptors in India arrived in a shipment - with a viewing deck to watch the construction being planned

Ramola Talwar Badam
Ramola Talwar Badam
Dubai

June 06, 2021

  • English
  • Arabic

Hundreds of sandstone carvings sculpted by artisans in India have reached the site of Abu Dhabi’s first traditional stone Hindu temple.

Engraved with flower and nature motifs, the pillars are the first of thousands of carvings bound for the UAE.

The shrine will be the largest in the country when it is completed in 2023.

Rows of crates containing the stone panels have been laid out near the ground-level structure of the building that is taking shape in the Abu Mureikha area, off Sheikh Zayed Road between Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

The arrival was revealed in a video posted to YouTube by the Baps Swaminarayan Sanstha, the organisation responsible for building the shrine.

It's really an emotional moment to actually see the space and the sheer scale of the temple itself and to also see the beautiful intricate carvings of the stone

The temple group said more than 40 containers carrying 750 tonnes of carved and semi-carved pink sandstone arrived at the site.

Swami Brahmavihari, head of international relations for Baps, told The National that "many hundreds more" were expected over the next three years.

"The mandir [temple] will begin taking shape on top of the five-metre plinth which has been completed last month," he said.

Tourists and visitors to the Dubai Expo in October may be permitted to go to the construction site and view it from a deck.

Arrangements and approvals are being worked out by the temple group.

"In the coming months, visitors to the Expo will be able to see the ground floor of the temple being assembled," the priest said.

Large photographs across the site show where the friezes, from sculptures of deities to carvings of trees and plants, will be erected.

Indian and UAE officials recently participated in a ceremony to mark the first carvings reaching the site.

Pavan Kapoor, India’s ambassador to the UAE, said it was a proud project for both countries.

He spoke of the amazing craftsmanship and “progress that has been made despite times of Covid-19".

“This is a national project and we are very, very proud to be supporting it,” he said.

“It is a project not just for the UAE but for the government of India and it is contributing to the bilateral relationship.”

Dr Aman Puri, India’s consul general in Dubai, described the construction work as a milestone in the relations between the two nations.

“I would like to take the opportunity to say what is happening here in the UAE is an example for the entire world,” he said.

“UAE stands tall as a symbol of tolerance inspiring the entire world.”

Etchings of deities that will carved on the pillars of the Hindu temple being constructed in Abu Dhabi. Courtesy: Baps Swaminarayan Sanstha
Etchings of deities that will carved on the pillars of the Hindu temple being constructed in Abu Dhabi. Courtesy: Baps Swaminarayan Sanstha

Land for the temple was given to the Indian community by Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.

Workers at the site are completing the base of the temple that when finished will have seven spires as a symbol of each emirate.

Two underground tunnels have been built as workers ready the structure. The building will have no steel reinforcements reflecting architecture of ancient religious shrines in India.

The stonework, sculpted by more than 2,000 artisans in India, will be assembled and fitted on site like a jigsaw puzzle as each floor of the temple takes shape.

Michael Magill, managing director of RSP, the construction company handling the project, said it was an emotional moment.

“Today is a very historic moment,” he said.

Read More

Watch: foundation of Abu Dhabi’s Hindu temple nears completion

Devotees attend stone-laying ceremony for UAE's first Hindu temple

“It’s really an emotional moment to actually see the space and the sheer scale of the temple itself, and to also see the beautiful intricate carvings of the stone that has come all the way from India.

"It just shows you the start of what is going be achieved over the next two or three years which we are all very excited to see come to life.”

The plans show a flight of stairs on entry with waterfalls on each side, columns decorated with deities from Hindu scriptures, intricate carvings of dancers, musicians and engravings of peacocks, camels and horses.

The temple, built by the Baps group, will welcome people of all faiths.

The area will have trees and green spaces and include a majlis, library, community centre and an amphitheatre bordered with a water feature.

Swami Brahmavihari, from Baps Swaminarayan Sanstha, said the shrine aimed to bring the world together. He said the temple would generate harmony “not just between two countries, two cultures, two communities and two religions, bringing the whole world together.”

The organisation is responsible for building 1,200 shrines around the world including in the US, UK and Australia.

Craftsmen in India at work – in pictures

Stone carvings for the UAE's first traditional Hindu temple are being readied in India. Courtesy: Baps Hindu Mandir
Stone carvings for the UAE's first traditional Hindu temple are being readied in India. Courtesy: Baps Hindu Mandir
Construction is well underway on the UAE's first traditional Hindu stone temple in Abu Dhabi. Courtesy: Baps Hindu Mandir.
Construction is well underway on the UAE's first traditional Hindu stone temple in Abu Dhabi. Courtesy: Baps Hindu Mandir.
Construction of the base of the UAE's first traditional Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi will be completed in April. Courtesy: Baps Hindu Mandir
Construction of the base of the UAE's first traditional Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi will be completed in April. Courtesy: Baps Hindu Mandir
Foundation work and tunnelling is being completed at the Abu Mureikha site in Abu Dhabi of the country's first traditional Hindu stone temple. Courtesy: BAPS Hindu Mandir
Foundation work and tunnelling is being completed at the Abu Mureikha site in Abu Dhabi of the country's first traditional Hindu stone temple. Courtesy: BAPS Hindu Mandir
Stone carvings for the UAE’s first traditional Hindu temple are displayed in India. Baps Hindu Mandir
Stone carvings for the UAE’s first traditional Hindu temple are displayed in India. Baps Hindu Mandir
Plans for the Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi show a shrine with seven spires to represent the Emirates. Courtesy: BAPS Hindu Mandir
Plans for the Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi show a shrine with seven spires to represent the Emirates. Courtesy: BAPS Hindu Mandir
Stone carvings for the country's first traditional Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi are inspired from ancient Indian scriptures. Artisans have carved 25,000 cubic feet of stone for the temple in India. Courtesy: BAPS Hindu Mandir
Stone carvings for the country's first traditional Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi are inspired from ancient Indian scriptures. Artisans have carved 25,000 cubic feet of stone for the temple in India. Courtesy: BAPS Hindu Mandir
A screenshot of craftsmen in India working on the columns for the Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi. Courtesy: BAPS Hindu Mandir
A screenshot of craftsmen in India working on the columns for the Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi. Courtesy: BAPS Hindu Mandir
Stone carvings for the UAE’s first traditional Hindu temple are displayed in India. Baps Hindu Mandir
Stone carvings for the UAE’s first traditional Hindu temple are displayed in India. Baps Hindu Mandir
Artists in India prepare drawings for the Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi. Courtesy: BAPS Hindu Mandir
Artists in India prepare drawings for the Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi. Courtesy: BAPS Hindu Mandir
A screenshot of carvings for the Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi. Courtesy: BAPS Hindu Mandir
A screenshot of carvings for the Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi. Courtesy: BAPS Hindu Mandir
Craftsmen in India work on columns and pillars of the Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi. Courtesy: BAPS Hindu Mandir
Craftsmen in India work on columns and pillars of the Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi. Courtesy: BAPS Hindu Mandir
The specs: 2018 Opel Mokka X

Price, as tested: Dh84,000

Engine: 1.4L, four-cylinder turbo

Transmission: Six-speed auto

Power: 142hp at 4,900rpm

Torque: 200Nm at 1,850rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L / 100km

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The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Tomorrow 2021
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Kat Wightman's tips on how to create zones in large spaces

 

  • Area carpets or rugs are the easiest way to segregate spaces while also unifying them.
  • Lighting can help define areas. Try pendant lighting over dining tables, and side and floor lamps in living areas.
  • Keep the colour palette the same in a room, but combine different tones and textures in different zone. A common accent colour dotted throughout the space brings it together.
  • Don’t be afraid to use furniture to break up the space. For example, if you have a sofa placed in the middle of the room, a console unit behind it will give good punctuation.
  • Use a considered collection of prints and artworks that work together to form a cohesive journey.
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EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS

Estijaba – 8001717 –  number to call to request coronavirus testing

Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111

Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre

Emirates airline – 600555555

Etihad Airways – 600555666

Ambulance – 998

Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries

Lexus LX700h specs

Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor

Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh590,000

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Director: Lynne Ramsay

Starring: Joaquim Phoenix, Ekaterina Samsonov

Four stars

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Global Fungi Facts

• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil

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PROFILE OF SWVL

Started: April 2017

Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh

Based: Cairo, Egypt

Sector: transport

Size: 450 employees

Investment: approximately $80 million

Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani

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Specs

Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request

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Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
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  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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Director: Clint Eastwood

Stars: Clint Eastwood, Dwight Yoakam

Rating:**

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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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The specs

Engine: 5.2-litre V10

Power: 640hp at 8,000rpm

Torque: 565Nm at 6,500rpm

Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto

Price: From Dh1 million

On sale: Q3 or Q4 2022 

The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder turbo

Transmission: CVT

Power: 170bhp

Torque: 220Nm

Price: Dh98,900

Results

Stage three:

1. Stefan Bissegger (SUI) EF Education-EasyPost, in 9-43

2. Filippo Ganna (ITA) Ineos Grenadiers, at 7s

3. Tom Dumoulin (NED) Jumbo-Visma, at 14s

4. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE-Team Emirates, at 18s

5. Joao Almeida (POR) UAE-Team Emirates, at 22s

6. Mikkel Bjerg (DEN) UAE-Team Emirates, at 24s

General Classification:

1. Stefan Bissegger (SUI) EF Education-EasyPost, in 9-13-02

2. Filippo Ganna (ITA) Ineos Grenadiers, at 7s

3. Jasper Philipsen (BEL) Alpecin Fenix, at 12s

4. Tom Dumoulin (NED) Jumbo-Visma, at 14s

5. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE-Team Emirates, at 18s

6. Joao Almeida (POR) UAE-Team Emirates, at 22s

Know before you go
  • Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
  • If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
  • By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
  • Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
  • Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.

 

Gulf rugby

Who’s won what so far in 2018/19

Western Clubs Champions League: Bahrain
Dubai Rugby Sevens: Dubai Hurricanes
West Asia Premiership: Bahrain

What’s left

UAE Conference

March 22, play-offs:
Dubai Hurricanes II v Al Ain Amblers, Jebel Ali Dragons II v Dubai Tigers

March 29, final

UAE Premiership

March 22, play-offs: 
Dubai Exiles v Jebel Ali Dragons, Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Dubai Hurricanes

March 29, final

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While you're here
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Friday (UAE kick-off times)

Real Sociedad v Leganes (midnight)

Saturday

Alaves v Real Valladolid (4pm)

Valencia v Granada (7pm)

Eibar v Real Madrid (9.30pm)

Barcelona v Celta Vigo (midnight)

Sunday

Real Mallorca v Villarreal (3pm)

Athletic Bilbao v Levante (5pm)

Atletico Madrid v Espanyol (7pm)

Getafe v Osasuna (9.30pm)

Real Betis v Sevilla (midnight)

Business Insights
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