The new Hindu temple is on schedule for its October unveiling and running through the final paces in a flurry of activity in Jebel Ali.
Located adjacent to the Sikh Gurudwara and two churches behind Ikea and Festival Plaza, the temple will be home to 16 dieties. Prominent Emirati influencer Hussain Sajwani took to Twitter to marvel at the development after Khaleej Times got exclusive pictures as the temple gets the finishing touches.
The old temple for many years has been situated in the emirate’s oldest district of Bur Dubai. Construction work on the new premise in the so-called ‘Corridor of Tolerance’ in Jebel Ali is in full swing before the inauguration on October 4. However, it will open to public to coincide with the festival of Dussehra.
It will have various facilities for devotees, including a community centre for outreach activities, and a welcoming of people across religious beliefs and a knowledge room.
In the initial phase, only the worship area will be open for public. From the day of Makar Sankranti, 14 January 2023, the Knowledge Room and Community Centre will also open their doors for public. The temple will have facilities for people to organise weddings, havan, and private events.
To ensure safety from Covid-19, temple authorities have installed a QR-code based appointment system which is available on the temple website hindutempledubai.com. Once open, the temple will organise Hindu festivals like Diwali and Navratri in a grand manner.
List of some features and facilities at the temple:
- Temple will have LCD screens installed in its community and knowledge area
- Temple’s doors are made of walnut wood and there are tall concrete pillars decorated with intricate designs
- South Indian deities are sculpted from black stone
- The main deity in temple will be lord Shiva along with 15 other deities including Ganesha, Krishna,
- Mahalakshmi, Guruvayoorappan and Ayyappan, etc.
- There will be a section for Sri Guru Granth Sahib – the Sikh Holy Book inside the temple
- There is a designated area for Tulsi plant and ceremonies like mundan, etc.
- Eight priests will be employed on full-time basis in the temple