Spiritual leader Mahant Swami Maharaj arrives ahead of PM Modis opening of the BAPS Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi.

On Monday, the spiritual guide Mahant Swami Maharaj traveled to Abu Dhabi in advance of the BAPS Hindu temple's opening. On February 14, the spiritual guru traveled to the Gulf country as a state guest to oversee the historic opening of the first Hindu temple in the United Arab Emirates.The spiritual head of BAPS, His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj, has arrived in the United Arab Emirates ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's February 14 ceremonial opening of the BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi. The President of the United Arab Emirates, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed (MBZ) Al Nahyan, and the Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, Mubarak Al Nahyan, welcomed him.India invited the ambassadors of 42 nations to visit the temple on January 29. Sunjay Sudhir, the Indian ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, hosted the international diplomatic corps for the exclusive tour. The Indian embassy later stated in a statement that the envoys were in awe of the temple's distinctive construction, elaborate motifs, and message of harmony, peace, and unity.

The temple is anticipated to draw large audiences because of its elaborate hand-carved stone statues.2015: LAND ALLOTMENT DECISION Modi's visit will highlight the strong relations that exist between the UAE and India. Modi's seventh visit to the UAE as prime minister will take place this time. He spent a day in Dubai last December attending the COP28 Summit. As the chief guest of the Vibrant Gujarat Summit in January, UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan visited India and conducted a road show in Ahmedabad.After Indira Gandhi in the 1980s, PM Modi became the first Indian prime minister to visit the United Arab Emirates in 2015. Under Modi's leadership, the UAE President has made four trips to India thus far. In2015, during Prime Minister Modi's first visit, the UAE decided to set aside land in Abu Dhabi for the construction of a temple. Being the first Indian prime minister to visit this strategically important Gulf state in thirty-four years—after Indira Gandhi—the PM's visit was significant diplomatically.EVERYTHING ABOUT BAPS The Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha is known by its acronym, BAPS. The late 1700s religious guru Bhagwan Swaminarayan is the inspiration behind the organization's name.According to the BAPS website, it is a socio-spiritual Hindu religion with origins in the vedas that was founded in 1907 by Shastriji Maharaj (1865–1951) and pioneered by Bhagwan Swaminarayan (1781–1830) in the late 18th century.