Guidelines for visiting Abu Dhabi’s iconic Hindu temple as its doors open to all

News Network
March 1, 2024

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Abu Dhabi: The first Hindu stone temple in Abu Dhabi is opening its doors to all from today, March 1. Here are the rules for visitors – what is not allowed in the temple and when it is closed for visit.

The BAPS Hindu Mandir, the Middle East’s biggest and first traditional stone temple, was officially inaugurated by the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 14.

UAE residents had been urged to visit the temple from March 1 with pre-registration on a dedicated website and app. This was due to specially-themed events that were lined up on the days following the inauguration and a huge number of international visitors who had already registered to visit the temple during that time.

No more registration required

The management of the temple under the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) – a spiritual, volunteer-driven fellowship that has built over 1,100 temples across the world, revealed that no more registration is required for UAE residents to visit the temple.

“The UAE residents do not need to register to visit the mandir,” the management stated. It also revealed the mandir will be open only six days a week for visitors of all faiths.

“The Mandir will be closed on Mondays. The opening hours from Tuesday to Sunday are from 9am to 8pm.”

What is not allowed

The management also spelt out the things that are not allowed inside the temple.

No bags are allowed as there are no cloakrooms available, it said. Visitors are not allowed to carry food or drinks either. Photography inside the main mandir has also been banned to help maintain its spiritual environment, the management stated.

It said tens of thousands of people have already visited the temple.

“We have observed that thousands of people from wide ranging faiths are visiting daily and over 40,000 on the weekend. There are many facilities for visitors to enjoy, like the Orchard restaurant built entirely from recycled material and providing vegetarian meals and refreshments,” it added.

Festival of Harmony

Earlier on Sunday, more than 1,100 people took part in the ‘Palkhi Yatra’ – a grand procession of community members celebrating the cultural diversity at the temple.

Indian expat devotees representing north, south, east, west and central India participated in the procession wearing their traditional Indian attire and performing traditional devotional music and singing. It was the first time that such a pan-Indian procession had taken place.

The colourful procession marked the conclusion of the “Festival of Harmony,” a series of cultural and religious events held to celebrate the opening of the temple.

During the festival, the temple organised various events on different days dedicated to harmony, civilisation, peace and inspiration.

Various religious leaders, intellectuals and a lineup of eminent personalities from several walks of life attended.

Day of Inspiration

The ‘Day of Inspiration’ celebrated the pivotal role of women in uplifting society and their invaluable contributions to humanity. Organised and delivered by the women’s wing of the BAPS Hindu Mandir, more than 2,000 women of all ages attended and benefited from this special assembly.

Alongside the Festival of Harmony, BAPS Hindu Mandir also organised a blood donation drive in partnership with Aster Clinic with the participation of more than 500 visitors.

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News Network
November 21,2025

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Local authorities say the Israeli military has expanded the so-called “yellow line” truce demarcation in Gaza City and repositioned its forces deeper into the territory in violation of a ceasefire agreement that came into force on October 10, besieging dozens of Palestinian families.

Gaza’s Government Media Office announced in a statement on Thursday that Israeli forces widened the boundary by shifting the markers, and advanced roughly 300 meters (984 feet) into the neighborhoods of Ash-Shaaf, An-Nazzaz and Baghdad Street.

The move pushed further into civilian areas, trapping families who were unable to flee as tanks rolled forward, it added.

“The fate of many of these families remains unknown amidst the shelling that targeted the area,” the office said, adding that the expansion of the yellow line shows a “blatant disregard” for the ceasefire deal.

On Friday, sources said the Israeli military carried out continued air and artillery strikes inside the so-called “yellow line” east of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip.

According to the reports, Israeli warplanes and tanks targeted areas within the zone. One Palestinian was reported killed and several others wounded in the strikes, the sources said.

The fresh aggression came only a day after 25 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City and Khan Younis on Wednesday.

The media office reported that Israel has consistently violated the truce deal since its implementation last month, with near-daily attacks by air, artillery and direct shootings.

The office said over 400 violations have been documented. These breaches have resulted in the deaths of more than 300 Palestinians and left hundreds injured.

The Government Media Office in Gaza urged the guarantors of the ceasefire — the US, Egypt, Qatar and Turkey — to take swift action to halt the ongoing violations and facilitate the delivery of food, shelter materials, medical aid, and infrastructure equipment.

The so-called “yellow line,” set out in the agreement between Israel and Hamas resistance movement, refers to a non-physical partition where the Israeli military repositioned itself when the truce deal took effect.

It has allowed Israel, which routinely fires at Palestinians who approach the line, to retain control over more than half of the Gaza Strip.

International bodies, including the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry, the International Association of Genocide Scholars, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, B’Tselem, and other rights groups, have concluded that the Israeli war on Gaza amounts to genocide.

In the attacks in Gaza since October 2023, Israel has killed at least 69,546 people and injured 170,833 others, leveling large swaths of the territory and displacing almost all of the population. 

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News Network
November 21,2025

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An Indian Air Force (IAF) Tejas fighter jet crashed on Friday, November 21, afternoon during its aerial demonstration at the Dubai Air Show, plunging to the ground at around 2:10 pm local time while performing a manoeuvre before thousands of spectators.

The IAF confirmed the incident, stating that a Tejas aircraft participating in the show had crashed and that further details were being gathered. An Air Force spokesperson said more information would be shared after initial assessments.

The crash sent thick black smoke billowing into the sky near the airport, causing panic among visitors, including families and children who had gathered to watch the display. Authorities have not yet confirmed whether the pilot managed to eject before the aircraft went down. Emergency response teams rushed to the scene, and officials have not released information on casualties or damage so far.

The Tejas is a 4.5-generation, multi-role fighter aircraft developed indigenously by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). Designed for versatility, it is capable of offensive air support, close combat, ground attack missions and maritime operations. The aircraft family includes single-seat fighters and twin-seat trainers for both the Air Force and Navy.

HAL describes the latest version, the LCA Mk1A, as the most advanced in the series, featuring an AESA radar, an upgraded electronic warfare suite with radar-warning and self-protection jamming, smart multifunction displays, a digital map generator, a combined interrogator–transponder system and a modern radio altimeter. These enhancements significantly improve the aircraft’s combat capability and survivability.

Further updates from IAF and UAE authorities are awaited.

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News Network
December 3,2025

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Mangaluru, Dec 3: A group of Congress workers gathered at the Mangaluru International Airport on Wednesday to welcome AICC general secretary K C Venugopal, but the reception quickly turned into a display of support for Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar.

Venugopal arrived in the city to participate in the centenary commemoration of the historic dialogue between Mahatma Gandhi and Narayana Guru. The event, organised by the Sivagiri Mutt, Varkala, in association with the Mangalore University Sri Narayana Guru Study Chair, is being held on the university’s Konaje campus.

KPCC general secretary Mithun Rai and several party workers had assembled at the airport to receive Venugopal. However, the moment he stepped out, workers began raising slogans backing Shivakumar.

The university programme will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

This show of support comes just a day after Siddaramaiah remarked that Shivakumar would lead the government “when the high command decides.” The chief minister made the comment after a breakfast meeting at Shivakumar’s residence—another public display of camaraderie between the two leaders amid ongoing attempts by the party high command to downplay their leadership rivalry.

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