The fact that the UAE has a Hindu temple is significant because it sends a message to the world that the religion and culture of other people should be respected and cherished, says former Indian envoy G Parthasarathy.
"It is a tribute to the people of India, from the workers to the management level, by the UAE authorities," Parthasarathy told Sputnik, adding that the country welcomed people from India not on the basis of their religion but on merit. They were then given freedom, jobs and security to live and work.
Asked what kind of emotional value the temple would have for Indians living in the UAE, Parthasarathy said it was a kind of recognition given to the Indian diaspora for their decades of work and contribution over the years.
The former diplomat, who has worked closely in the region during successive governments in New Delhi, said the Hindu temple in the UAE was a good story of successive governments and people of India.
He further noticed that the shrine represented not only Hindus but all the people of India.
On Wednesday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was on a two-day official visit to the UAE, was invited by the Bochasanwasi Shiri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) to inaugurate the grand Hindu temple there.