The Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) Mandir is the first traditional, stone carved Hindu temple built on the Arabian Peninsula, the birthplace of Islam, although Hindu temples have existed in the UAE for decades.
The Abu Dhabi temple was built with sandstone from India's Rajasthan and marble from Italy and features seven spires that represent the seven emirates of the UAE. Hindu deities are depicted along with ancient civilizations and other religions including Islam, the only official religion of the Gulf state.
Indians are the single largest nationality living in the UAE, home to some 10 million people who are mostly foreigners and where the country's one million citizens are a minority.
