The Hindus in the M-E: Dussehra marks the opening of the first temple in Dubai
Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: A month after External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar visited the first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi, the first independent and standalone temple in Dubai is set for inauguration on Tuesday evening.
It will be thrown open to the devotees on Wednesday when the Hindus celebrate the festival of Dussehra.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE)’s Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, will be the chief guest and Indian Ambassador to the UAE Sunjay Sudhir, the guest of honor at the event, the media reported.
The temple is located at ‘Worship Village’ in Jebel Ali. The area also houses several churches and a gurdwara.
According to Khaleej Times, the Hindu temple is an extension of the Sindhi Guru Darbar Temple, one of the oldest Hindu temples in the UAE, and will be open to the public from Wednesday.
They laid the foundation of the temple in 2020, fulfilling the decades-long demand of the millions of Hindus in the region. They have installed idols of 16 deities in the temple. It comprises ornate pillars, Hindu and Arabic geometric designs on the façade, and bells on the ceiling. The Sikh community’s holy book, Shri Guru Granth Sahib, has also been placed in the temple.
On September 1, thousands of devotees attended the temple’s soft opening. A 3D-printed pink lotus has been installed at the central dome in the main hall where the idols of deities are placed. The temple can accommodate nearly1,200 devotees in a day.
Gulf News quoted the temple trustee, Raju Shroff, on Monday, as saying, “With the benevolence of the Rulers of the UAE and the gracious support of the Community Development Authority (CDA), we are holding the official inaugural ceremony of the Hindu Temple Dubai tomorrow evening.” On Tuesday, entry of the public will be restricted, he said and urged the devotees to visit the temple only from October 5.
To make the ‘darshan’ easier for the devotees, the temple management has installed a QR-based appointment system on its online platforms. As per the temple’s official website, it will remain open from 6:30 AM to 8 PM. Initially, only a few devotees may visit the temple. From October 5, they will have to book appointments.
