Around the time that the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) Mandir was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Abu Dhabi, UAE, we saw several posts claiming that this temple was the first Hindu temple in the UAE.
Who shared this claim?: While many social media users shared text or visuals to claim that the BAPS temple is UAE's "first Hindu temple," the claim was also shared by several notable users, including:
The Ministry of Culture's official X (formerly Twitter) account
'@MyGovIndia', the government's citizen engagement account on X, in several posts
Rajasthan's Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore
News organisations such as Mirror Now, Indiatimes, WION, The Times of India, Mint, The Indian Express, Firstpost, and Hindustan Times.
Madhya Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president VD Sharma.
(Swipe to view screenshots of some of the claims.)
The Ministry of Culture shared the claim.
(Source: X/Screenshot)
Is it true?: No. While it is the first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi, it is not first in the country. The city of Dubai has had multiple Hindu temples since 1958.
How did we find out?: A relevant keyword search showed us other Hindu temples in UAE.
For instance, this photo story by The Quint shows photos of a "newly constructed Hindu temple in Dubai's Jebel Ali," which was inaugurated on 4 October 2022.
The temple in Jebel Ali was opened in October 2022.
(Source: The Quint/Screenshot)
BAPS Temple confirms: When we reached out to the newly inaugurated BAPS temple in Abu Dhabi over email, their press team said that their temple was the "first Stone Mandir... in all of the Middle East (sic)."
However, they confirmed that it was "NOT the first mandir in the UAE. For instance, the mandir in Jebal Ali was completed before the mandir in Abu Dhabi (sic)," the email read.
Other Hindu temples in UAE:In an article about a Hindu family in Dubai that has been residing there for almost a century, The Economic Times carried a quote mentioning a Hindu temple in Bur Dubai, which has been around since 1958.
Taking a cue from this, we looked for more details about this temple, which led us to the website of the Shri Krishna Temple in Dubai.
Under the 'About Us' section, the website mentioned that this temple was built in 1958, after the late Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum "granted land and permission" for its construction.
The Krishna Temple was constructed in 1958, 66 years ago.
(Source: Shri Krishna Temple/Altered by The Quint)
Another result for our search took us to travel website Tripadvisor, where we came across a review for a Shiva Temple, which a user had shared 10 years ago in 2014.
The review is 10 years old.
(Source: Tripadvisor/Screenshot)
The "iconic temple complex in Bur Dubai" – which also houses the previously mentioned Krishna temple – is set to close down, the temple's management told Gulf News, and devotees have been asked to use the Hindu temple in Jebel Ali to offer prayers.
We also found listicles on travel website Veena World and UAE's real estate website Bayut, which mentioned eight and three Hindu temples in UAE respectively.
Shirdi Sai Baba's international website mentioned one temple dedicated to the saint in Jumeirah, Dubai.
Conclusion: The newly inaugurated BAPS Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi is not the UAE's first Hindu temple.
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