Indian-origin banker Vishal Patel quit high-paying job to serve at Abu Dhabi BAPS Hindu temple

AN investment banker in Dubai, who once drew a fat salary at the Dubai International Financial Centre, quit his lucrative job last year to serve full time at the BAPS Hindu Mandir which was inaugurated in Abu Dhabi, UAE, earlier this month.

According to a report by the Khaleej Times, the 43-year-old Vishal Patel started volunteering at the temple when it was taking shape before deciding to involve himself with the temple for all time.

A second-generation expat from India's Gujarat who was born and raised in the UK, Patel has been closely associated with the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha since his childhood days. The BAPS temple in London has been a guiding light for him and he moved base to Dubai in the UAE after the Sanstha was in charge of administering the Abu Dhabi temple project.

A former executive director at a leading investment research firm where he was employed till last year, Patel told the Khaleej Times that he and his family have been residing in the UAE since 2016.

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"Before this, my career was always my primary focus as I held positions at prominent investment banks and hedge funds. However, in the UAE, supporting this Mandir allowed me to make a meaningful impact on society and engage in endeavours that contribute to the greater good. This opportunity was too significant to pass up," Patel was quoted as saying by the Times. 

The former investment banker has remained busy with the temple since he started living in the UAE. He volunteered in the construction process by working on the building site, placing fences at a time when there was no temple and the site was full of sand and concrete. He also served food to guests and visitors.

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Patel is currently serving as the chief communications officer in a voluntary capacity for the temple and carries out various responsibilities, including media relations.

Speaking on why thousands of volunteers like him are keen to give up their jobs and work for the Sanstha, he told the Times,  “Our spiritual leaders, Pramukh Swami Maharaj and Mahant Swami Maharaj, have left a lasting impact on young minds and inspired many to devote their time and efforts from all corners of the world."

He said Mahant Swami Maharaj, the current president of the Sanstha, consistently reminded them of the significance of serving and living by the principles of “samp, suhradbhav, and ekta” -- unity, fraternity, and solidarity.

Patel, whose enthusiasm in sports such as football and cricket strengthened his bonding with the BAPS temple in London as he played games inside the temple's gym, said a spiritual guru such as Pramukh Swami Maharaj understood the importance of sports in drawing youngsters like him to the temple. He recalled an instance where the late guru emphasised on a playing area during the construction of the temple in London in 1995. He said Pramukh Swami Maharaj had suggested reducing the size of the Haveli cultural centre to accommodate a gym in the temple complex to encourage children to join the temple.

Recalling how his association with the temple in London left a profound impact on the lives of him and others associated with it, Patel said the new temple in Abu Dhabi will also play a similar role. He also praised the UAE leadership for playing a constructive role in supporting the temple project.