Dubai’s newest Hindu temple to to open its doors for worshipers by Diwali next year

PTI, Jan 25, 2021, 3:37 PM IST

Dubai: A majestic new Hindu temple with a distinct Arabian look is expected to open its doors for worshippers in Dubai by October next year during Diwali, according to media reports here.

The new temple is being constructed adjacent to the Guru Nanak Darbar in Jebel Ali, making the locality a multi-religious corridor in the city.

The temple is an extension of the Sindhi Guru Darbar Temple in Souq Baniyas, Bur Dubai, one of the oldest Hindu temples in the United Arab Emirates, open since the 1950s.

According to a report in Khaleej Times in February last year, the 25,000 sq.ft. temple will be built at an estimated cost of Dirham 75 million (Rs 1,48,86,24,396).

Raju Shroff, an Indian businessman and one of the trustees of the Sindhi Guru Darbar Temple, announced on Sunday that the construction of the temple is underway, and the basement of the structure is complete.

“Piling, shoring and casting of basements one and two are complete as of now. We are on track to open during Diwali 2022,” Khaleej Times quoted Shroff as saying.

The temple’s foundation-stone-laying ceremony took place in February last year.

“Once complete, there will be several churches, the Sikh Guru Nanak Darbar, and a Hindu temple in the same location,” Shroff said.

The temple will be home to 11 Hindu deities, he added.

The temple”s architecture will have a distinct Arabian look.

“We want to give back to the local economy and this our way to repay the gratitude we have for the UAE leadership for celebrating religious tolerance,” Shroff said.

He added that worshippers could use the spacious 4,000 sq ft banquet hall for cultural events, religious gatherings and community get-togethers.

The temple intends to display a subtle blend of contemporary Hindu and Arabic elements, Gulf News said.

The temple is an east-facing structure, designed as per norms of Indian Temple Architecture and Hindu Vastu Shastra. The temple structure includes two basements, a ground floor and first floor. The total height of the temple is 24 metres, it said.

The columns on the façade and interior take inspiration from the traditional columns of the Somnath Temple in Gujarat.

The main dome is inspired by the Nagara style of Hindu temple architecture found predominantly in north India.