Dubai's newest Hindu temple officially opens its doors to residents in Jebel Ali's worship village

The newest Hindu temple in Dubai formally opened its doors to worshippers on Tuesday evening. And today, large numbers of people are expected to visit the temple for the celebration of Dusshera festival.

“We will have a lot of rush today, so just Darshans (altar viewing) as of now, and big aarti (Hindu ritual) at 7.30pm,” Shroff said on Wednesday morning.

Those who are planning to go to the temple are advised to pre-register via a QR code, but walk-in visitors are also permitted.

Located in a neighbourhood referred to as the 'worship village', the grand place of worship was inaugurated in a ceremony marked with a powerful message of tolerance, peace, and harmony on Tuesday.

The 'worship village' in Jebel Ali now houses nine religious shrines, including seven churches and the Guru Nanak Darbar Sikh Gurudwara.

Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, inaugurated the temple by lighting a lantern in the temple's multi-purpose hall on the ground floor.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was organised in the main prayer hall. Sheikh Nahyan was joined by Sunjay Sudhir, Indian Ambassador to the UAE; Dr Omar Al Muthanna, CEO of the social regulatory and licensing agency for the Community Development Authority (CDA); and Raju Shroff, trustee of the Hindu Temple Dubai. Ahmed Abdul Karim Julfar, director-general of the Community Development Authority, was also present at the event.

Over 200 dignitaries, including the heads of diplomatic missions, religious leaders of several faiths, business owners and Indian community members were also present at the glittering opening ceremony.

Indian ambassador Sunjay Sudhir said: "It is welcome news for the Indian community that a new Hindu temple is being inaugurated in Dubai today. The temple's opening serves the religious aspirations of the large Hindu community living in the UAE. The new temple is adjoining a Gurudwara, which was opened in 2012.

"We are honoured that Sheikh Nahayan inaugurated the new Hindu temple in Dubai. We thank the graciousness and generosity of the Dubai Government for providing land for the temple and facilitating its construction. We also thank the UAE government for providing a second home to 3.5 million Indians where they live and work and contribute to the economy and society."

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