Celebrating the Kingdom as the land of coexistence

His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa yesterday deputized HM the King’s Personal Representative, HH Shaikh Abdulla bin Hamad Al Khalifa, to attend the ceremony marking the 200th anniversary of the Shree Krishna Hindu Temple in Bahrain. HRH Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, Shura Council Chairman, Ali Saleh Al Saleh, Foreign Affairs Minister, Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Mohammed Al Khalifa, Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments Minister, Shaikh Khalid bin Ali Al Khalifa, former Chief Minister of Rajasthan of the Republic of India, Vasundhara Raje, ambassadors and senior state officials also attended the grand celebration, co-organised by the King Hamad Global Centre for Peaceful Coexistence and the “This Is Bahrain” Society.

HH Shaikh Abdulla bin Hamad conveyed HM the King’s greetings and appreciation to all the participants in the celebration, as well as HM’s pride in the great role they have played in the Kingdom’s progress in various fields.

HM, the King’s Personal Representative stressed that holding a ceremony to commemorate 200 years since the existence of the temple in the Kingdom proves the depth of the deep-rooted Bahraini-Indian relations, noting that the iconic temple is an excellent example of the feature of co-existence among civilizations and religions that has prevailed in the Kingdom for centuries. It also reflects Bahrain’s historical dimension in the region as a country of peace, love, tolerance, as well as religious and cultural diversity, he said.

HH Shaikh Abdulla bin Hamad said that the warm welcome accorded to him upon arrival, the speeches made in love and praise of Bahrain and the massive attendance of the event by senior religious figures and officials from brotherly and friendly countries, the officials of the temple and the expatriate communities testify to the participants’ great and sincere love for Bahrain – King, government and people, as the land of peace, love and religious and cultural tolerance.