- Tuesday, February 25, 2025
The event on the eve of the inauguration of the BAPS Hindu temple will happen at Sheikh Zayed Sports Stadium, the UAE’s largest stadium.
By: Shubham Ghosh
OFFICIALS and organisers were busy with preparations as the ‘Ahlan Modi’ event, scheduled for February 13 in Abu Dhabi, UAE, were approaching, setting the stage for yet another mega gathering of members of the Indian diaspora around prime minister Narendra Modi overseas.
The Indian leader, who will inaugurate the BAPS Hindu temple in the desert city on February 14, will address the Indian community the previous day. ‘Ahlan Modi’, which roughly translates into ‘Hello Modi’, will resemble the PM’s ‘Howdy Modi’ event with former US president Donald Trump in Houston, Texas, in September 2019.
According to Ahlan Modi’s X handle, volunteer teams were briefed by management at the venue, setting clear roles and responsibilities for them to manage the participants expected at the mega event. It will happen at Sheikh Zayed Sports Stadium, the UAE’s largest stadium. The organisers expect 65,000 people to hear the address by Modi.
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UAE is getting ready for the biggest summit #ahlanmodi on 13 Feb at zeyed sports City Abu Dhabi @AhlanModi2024 @annamalai_k pic.twitter.com/YzeaXd51jp
— Ravisankaranand (@ravisankaranand) February 4, 2024
“1st Volunteers teams Head briefing by Volunteers Management at venue to set clear roles & responsibilities,required to manage huge turnout expected on historic day. Don’t forget to join on 13th February at Zayed sports City stadium Abudhabi,” it said in the post.
#ahlanmodi 1st Volunteers teams Head briefing by Volunteers Management at venue to set clear roles & responsibilities,required to manage huge turnout expected on historic day.
Don’t forget to join on 13th February at Zayed sports City stadium Abudhabi. #ModiInUAE #indiansinuae pic.twitter.com/axqkA22wSK— Ahlan Modi (@AhlanModi2024) February 5, 2024
In another related post, ‘Ahlan Modi’ said that while one batch of volunteers will manage logistics in Abu Dhabi, the others will take care of cultural performances. It also applauded the volunteers for giving ‘selfless service’.
While one batch of volunteers manage stadium logistics in Abudhabi, other bunch take care of the cultural performances in Dubai ;ensuring a spectacular welcome to PM Narendra Modi on 13th of February.
Team #ahlanmodi truly putting in selfless service ! #ModiInUAE #indiansinuae pic.twitter.com/huUBwrj38x— Ahlan Modi (@AhlanModi2024) February 4, 2024
The volunteers of #AhlanModi form the backbone of the event .They are crucial to managing 65k crowd of #indiansinuae &ensuring that the experience at Zayed Sports City stadium on the historic day 13 February in Abudhabi becomes a memory to be cherished lifelong#ModiInUAE pic.twitter.com/GbT91PAqtn
— Ahlan Modi (@AhlanModi2024) February 4, 2024
The organisers expect that the stadium will be filled to the brim and various volunteer committees were working on a detailed planning and smooth execution of the event.
The Indian embassy in the UAE said people across the globe were also eagerly waiting for the inauguration of the BAPS Hindu temple, which will take place three weeks after Modi inaugurated the Ram temple in India’s Ayodhya.
In a post on X, the embassy said that magnificent visuals, with their spellbinding architecture, show the temple in all its grandeur.
“The world awaits the inauguration of the @AbuDhabiMandir @AbuDhabiMandir by PM @narendramodi. Visuals resplendent with its spellbinding architecture show the Temple in all its grandeur,” the post read.
Last month, Indian ambassador to the UAE, Sunjay Sudhir visited the temple in Abu Dhabi to see the progress.
In December, Modi accepted the invitation extended by BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha’s Swami Ishwarcharandas and Swami Brahmaviharidas, along with the board of directors for the inauguration of the temple.
They met the Indian PM at his official residence in Delhi to extend him the invitation.
