A new Hindu temple under construction in Dubai

Our Correspondent

Dubai will have a new and modern styled Hindu temple in Jebel Ali by Diwali in October 2022. The contemporary temple is an extension of the Sindhi Guru Darbar Temple in Bur Dubai, one of the oldest Hindu temples in the country that has been functioning since the 1950s.
The temple’s architecture will have a distinct Arabian look with earthy shades, lattice screens and a large octagonal, glass-shaded skylight with six additional spires. The facade featuring Saudi/Jordanian stone will be partially covered with mashrabiya designs from Arabic architecture.
The temple’s foundation stone was laid in February last year. The basement of the structure is now complete.
It is adjacent to the Guru Nanak Darbar in Jebel Ali. Apart from the Sikh house of worship, there are several churches and a Hindu temple in the same location, explained Raju Shroff, an Indian businessman and one of the trustees of the Sindhi Guru Darbar Temple.
The two-storied structure will have the temple on the upper level and a community centre on the ground level.
The main shikhar (spire) reaches a height of 24 metres. The large hall will have huge bells suspended from the dome. The prayer area, which is 465 sq metres, can hold 1,500 worshippers.
The temple will have 11 Hindu deities, to cater to the religious beliefs of Hindu communities belonging to all parts of India.
This is the second Hindu temple being built in the UAE. There is a temple under construction in Abu Dhabi for which hand carvings are being sculpted in India.
But work on the Dubai temple will be done in the emirate itself. Only the deities will be brought from India.