Gandhinagar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate Middle East’s first Swaminarayan sect temple in Abu Dhabi in February this year. A Swaminarayan sect mandir where the sect’s founder Sahajanand Swami will be the Central deity is built by Gujarat headquartered Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Sanstha(BAPS).

Representatives of the BAPS organization, led by Swami Ishwarcharandas and Swami Brahmaviharidas, met the Prime Minister at his residence in New Delhi on Thursday and extended the invitation for the inauguration on February 14, according to a press statement from BAPS which also noted that PM Modi graciously accepted the invitation.

While the United Arab Emirates has several Hindu temples in Dubai, the one at Abu Dhabi will be the first of the Swaminarayan sect, which considers Sahajanand Swami, a sadhu who happened around two hundred years ago as God namely Bhagwan Swaminarayan. Swaminarayan temples differ from Hindu temples in many ways. For example, the flag of BSPA temples is red and white, the central deity is Sahajanand Swamy and not Sanatan parampara Gods, abhishek(pouring of milk over God’s idol) is performed over Nilkanth (Sahajanad Swami’s Bal swarup) murti and not Shiva’s murti. Swaminarayan sect has its own calendar of its religious events. Swaminarayan mandirs by BAPS include murtis of Hindu gods, but believe in the supremacy of ‘Bhagwan Swaminarayan’.

“Delighted by this gesture, Prime Minister Modi graciously accepted the invitation, expressing his enthusiastic support for the historic and iconic temple,” the BAPS press release said.

In an almost hour-long meeting, the BAPS delegation discussed the significance of the Abu Dhabi temple for global harmony and Modi’s vision for India’s spiritual leadership on the global stage, the organisation said.

“The BAPS delegation prayed for the Prime Minister’s health and acknowledged his exceptional global achievements, notably strengthening relationships with the UAE and other Middle Eastern countries,” and “Prime Minister Modi shared his personal vision for greater spiritual growth and India’s emergence as a global leader,” the statement added.

Mahant Swami Maharaj addressed the invitation to the PM with the words “Pramukh Swami na Priya Putra Modi Saheb”, translating to, “The most beloved son of Pramukh Swami, Modiji” DeshGujarat