Magnificent new Hindu temple inaugurated in Dubai

Dubai’s majestic new Hindu temple in Jebel Ali officially opened to welcome people of all faiths after a formal inauguration by Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, on Tuesday.

The Indian Ambassador thanked the graciousness and generosity of the Dubai government to provide land for the temple and facilitate its construction. “We also thank the government of the UAE for providing a second home to 3.5 million Indians where they live and work and contribute to the economy and society,” he added.

With a blend of Indian and Arabic architecture, the temple, which has 16 deities idols, houses a huge prayer hall that has a large 3D-printed pink lotus unfurling across the central dome. It also houses the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of the Sikhs.

Indian Ambassador to the UAE Sunjay Sudhir, Ahmad Abdul Karim Julfar, director-general of the Community Development Authority (CDA) in Dubai and Dr Omar Al Muthanna, CEO of the Social Regulatory and Licensing Agency for the CDA, were among the guests who joined the minister to light the traditional lamp and a ribbon-cutting ceremony.