Hindu temple in Dubai to open a day ahead of Dussehra

Dubai: A new Hindu temple constructed at Jebel Ali in Dubai is set to open on Tuesday, a day ahead of the Dussehra festival.

Khaleej Times reported that the temple is an extension of the Sindhi Guru Darbar Temple, one of the oldest Hindu temples in the UAE. The temple’s foundation was laid in February 2020 and the inauguration fulfils a decades-long Indian dream of having a place of worship in the area.

The temple, which will be officially open to the public from October 5 — the day of the Dussehra festival, welcomes people of all faiths and has allowed entry to worshippers and other visitors to view the 16 deities and other interior works, reported Gulf News.

Welcoming people from all faiths, the temple has already had its soft opening on September 1, 2022, where thousands of visitors were allowed to get a glimpse of the interiors of the temple built with white marble. It has ornate pillars, Arabic and Hindu geometric designs on the facade, and bells on the ceiling.

The temple management activated the QR-code-based appointment booking system via its website on its soft opening.

From day one, the temple has received many visitors, especially over the weekends. The restricted entry has been regulated through QR-coded appointments for crowd management and to ensure social distancing, the report said.

Most of the deities are installed in the main prayer hall with a large 3D-printed pink lotus unfurling across the central dome.

According to the official temple website, Dubai’s new Hindu temple will be open from 6:30 am to 8 pm.

Visitors who have booked their appointments to visit the temple from Dubai’s official website for October 5, will be allowed entry without being subject to the hourly number restrictions which are currently in place.

Moreover, the temple in Dubai has a whooping capacity to easily accommodate around 1000 to 1200 worshippers on a daily basis.

Located in what is described as the ‘Worship Village’ in Jebel Ali which houses several churches and the Guru Nanak Darbar Gurudwara, the temple has also installed the Guru Granth Sahib, the Holy Book of the Sikhs, in August.