Manama [Bahrain]: Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a USD 4.2 million redevelopment project of the 200-year-old Lord Sri Krishna temple in the Bahraini capital during his two-day visit to the Gulf nation.
PM Modi visited the Shreenathji Temple on Sunday before departing to attend the G7 summit in France's Biarritz.
The facelift for the Shreenathji (Shree Krishna) temple in Manama will kick off later this year.
The USD 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.
Modi arrived here on Saturday, the first ever by an Indian Prime Minister to Bahrain.
He had earlier made a special first purchase using the RuPay card in the UAE on Saturday to offer 'prasad' at the temple in Manama on Sunday. The transaction was made at what appears to be an Indian sweets shop.
UAE became the third country where the RuPay card was launched at, after Bhutan and Singapore. The Prime Minister has also conferred the 'Order of Zayed' during his bilateral visit to the middle-eastern nation.
On the last leg of his three-nation tour, Prime Minister Modi in Bahrain on Saturday was honoured with the 'The King Hamad Order of the Renaissance' during his meeting with the King of Bahrain, Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.
"I feel very honoured and fortunate to be awarded The King Hamad Order of the Renaissance. I am equally honoured by your majesty's friendship for me and for my country. I humbly accept this prestigious honour on behalf of 1.3 billion Indians," Modi said while accepting the award.
"It is an honour for entire India. This is a symbol of the close and friendly relations between the Kingdom of Bahrain and India," he added.
Before his meeting with the King of Bahrain, Modi had addressed a 15,000-strong Indian community event at the Bahrain National Stadium.
He also held a meeting with his Bahraini counterpart, Prince Khalifa Bin Salman Al Khalifa, where a string of Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) was exchanged in the fields of culture, space, collaboration with ISA and Rupay Card.
"Infusing new energy on the foundation of close civilizational linkages. PM @narendramodi arrives in #Manama, Bahrain. As a special gesture, received warmly by HH Prince Khalifa Bin Salman Al Khalifa, the PM of #Bahrain. This is the first-ever visit by an Indian PM to Bahrain," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar had tweeted after Modi arrived in Bahrain on the third leg of his three-country visit.
Before Bahrain, the Prime Minister held successful official engagements at both France and the UAE. He will now head back to France to take part in the G-7 summit from August 25 to 26 as a Biarritz partner in the sessions on Environment, Climate, Oceans and on Digital Transformation.
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