PM Modi launches iconic Hindu temple project in Bahrain

Manama: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday launched the $4.2 million redevelopment project of the 200-year-old Lord Sri Krishna temple in Manama and said it manifests the strong ties between India and Bahrain.

Narendra Modi, the first Indian Prime Minister to visit the key Gulf nation, offered prayers at the Shreenathji Temple in Manama, the oldest temple in the region, and also the 'prasad' that he bought with the RuPay card after launching it in the UAE on Saturday.

"Spent time at Bahrain's Shreenathji Temple. This is among the oldest temples in the region and manifests the strong ties between India and Bahrain," Modi tweeted and shared some of the blessed moments from the temple in his tweet.

Modi also greeted and interacted the Indian diaspora, who came to witness the event at the temple.

The Prime Minister then unveiled the plaque, thus officially launching the redevelopment project of the iconic temple. "The establishment of the Hindu temple more than two hundred years ago in Manama, as the oldest in the region, is a clear testament to the depth of the ties that link us together, and the civilised qualities of peaceful co-existence and freedom of belief and religion that have characterized Bahrain throughout its history, the official Bahrain News Agency quoted the King of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa as telling Prime Minister Modi on Saturday night.

The facelift for the Shreenathji (Shree Krishna) temple in Manama will kick off later this year. The $4.2 million redevelopment project will be on a piece of land measuring 16,500 square feet and the new four-floor structure covering 45,000 square feet will have an overall height of 30 meters.

The heritage and the 200-year-old legacy of the temple will be highlighted in the redevelopment and the new iconic complex will house the sanctum sanctorum and prayer halls.

There are also facilities for traditional Hindu marriage ceremonies and other rituals, promoting Bahrain as a wedding destination and boosting tourism. The temple corridors will be adorned with paintings by various Indian and Bahraini artists and people of all faiths are welcome.

Around 350,000 Indian nationals, mostly from Kerala, live in Bahrain. The Indian community comprise a third of Bahrain's total population of 1.2 million. Modi arrived in Manama on Saturday, the first ever by an Indian Prime Minister to Bahrain.