BAPS Hindu Mandir Honored with the Prestigious MONDO-DR 2025 Award, Abu Dhabi, UAE

‘The Fairy Tale’ immersive experience at the BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi has been awarded one of the most prestigious accolades in the global audiovisual industry: the ‘2025 MONDO-DR Award’ in the ‘House of Worship’ category. Described as the ‘Oscars of the AV world’, the MONDO-DR Awards are presented by MONDO-DR, which is the leading international magazine focused on technology installations in entertainment and architectural venues.

Held at Ole Red Orlando, Florida, on 11 June 2025, the awards celebrated the highest achievements in audiovisual integration across entertainment venues, architectural landmarks, and cultural spaces.

This recognition cements the BAPS Hindu Mandir not only as a spiritual and architectural marvel but also as a technological benchmark for immersive AV design in sacred spaces.

The House of Worship category at this year’s MONDO-DR Awards featured a record number of entries from across the world, including, renowned cathedrals, mosques, and synagogues with excellent AV designs. With dozens of high-profile submissions showcasing advanced audio and immersive lighting systems, the competition was fierce.

Judged by a panel of international experts assembled by MONDO-DR, the awards identify exceptional projects that merge innovation with impact.

In the world of AV, a MONDO-DR Award holds a similar prestige that an Academy Award represents in film: a mark of global excellence and peer-recognized mastery. That ‘The Fairy Tale’ immersive show at the BAPS Hindu Mandir was selected as the winner in such a saturated field is a clear testament to the unmatched integration quality, technical precision, and cultural sensitivity demonstrated throughout the BAPS Hindu Mandir project.

The first traditional Hindu stone temple in the Middle East, the BAPS Hindu Mandir stands as a symbol of peace and harmony and now, thanks to its sophisticated AV implementation, as a global showcase of innovation.

Designed to create a deeply spiritual, yet technology-enriched atmosphere, the show integrates seamlessly into the aesthetic, acoustic, and ceremonial fabric of the temple complex. The award-winning audiovisual system was developed through a global collaboration of AV consultants, lighting designers, acoustic engineers, and AV integrators, all working under strict constraints, such as cultural sensitivity, architectural limitations, and environmental extremes.

The show itself is the culmination of creative concepts, scripting, visualizations, animations, and meticulous designing by an in-house BAPS team of swamis and volunteers, with selfless assistance from professional audio-visual experts. It has been brought to life using 20 video projectors and a cutting- edge surround sound experience.

Adrian Goulder, Technical Director of VueAV, aptly explains why the award was unanimously awarded to the BAPS Hindu Mandir, “Every immersive show and AV experience showcases the latest available technology. What makes ‘The Fairy Tale’ Immersive Show at the BAPS Hindu Mandir stand apart, and so impactful, is its creativity, concept and global message. Most AV videos and presentations focus on user experiences to enhance a return on investment. However, here the message is solely on unity and spiritual growth. The script, its every word and whisper, written and narrated by Swami Brahmaviharidas is so powerful and penetrating that the message of harmony resonates within every heart. It is more than an immersive experience, it is transformative. Superlative. Out of this world experience!”

The audience is transported through time and space, witnessing and experiencing all the pivotal moments: His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s first prayer in the deserts of Sharjah (1997), the generosity of the UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in the Presidential Palace (2018), and the spiritually charged inauguration performed by His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj and Prime Minister Narendra Modi (2024).

Calling Abu Dhabi an ‘Epicenter of Harmony,’ the show unfolds a new dimension to the values of tolerance and harmony, significantly adding to the Mandir’s message of global inclusivity. It is committed to bridging and bringing together cultures, communities, and countries, reflecting the global appreciation for this extraordinary place of worship.

“We're honored and humbled to receive this award,” said Swami Brahmaviharidas. “This was never about just installing a show, sound systems or lighting. This was about designing an environment where every heart regardless of background, can feel a deeper connection to universal spirituality.”

The award is not only a triumph for BAPS Hindu Mandir, but also for the UAE as a whole. It signifies the country’s commitment to religious tolerance, cultural inclusion, and global excellence in design and innovation.

Inaugurated in February 2024, the BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi has already received multiple prestigious awards, including: The MEED Project Awards (2024) – recognizing it the as the ‘Best Cultural Project’ in the UAE and across the MENA region; the Mechanical Engineering Plumbing MEP Award (2019) – for exceptional mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering; and recognition from the World Architecture Festival and other international forums, establishing it as one of the world’s most impressive and celebrated buildings.