I had heard in India that the construction of a grand and majestic Hindu temple had been completed in Dubai last year and was inaugurated and opened for devotees in the month of October 22. As per reports, UAE Minister of Tolerance and Co-existence, Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan was the chief guest and Indian Ambassador to the UAE Sunjay Sudhir was the guest of honour. Yesterday I had the opportunity to visit this beautiful temple. Really amazing, gorgeous and godly!
Located in the Jabel Ali area of Dubai, this temple is seen as a strong message of tolerance, peace and harmony in the UAE. The places of worship of other religions are also to be seen in this area. There are a few churches and a huge gurudwara around.
Hindu temple is spread over an area of 70,000 square feet. The temple also houses a knowledge hall and a community centre for significant and prominent religious activities. With idols of the sixteen gods and goddesses of Hinduism installed, this temple is the second Hindu temple in Dubai. The first Hindu temple here was built in 1958 and is located in the Bur-Dubai area. (I have seen that too. Lord Srinath’s temple is also located in this area.)
Lord Shiva, Krishna and Ganesha, besides idols of Mahalakshmi and many deities of South India are installed in the huge temple courtyard. Made of high-quality white Italian marble and based on Indo-Arabic architecture, the temple is counted among the ten grand Hindu temples in the world. Followers of the Hindu religion from every corner of the UAE come here every day to have a glimpse of these revered deities. Most of the pillars/parts of the temple are embellished with beautiful carvings. The many bells tied on the roof of one part of the temple look very attractive and gracious.
The trustees of the temple say that about 3.5 million Indians reside in the UAE. This temple is a symbol of the fact that the UAE government respects every religion. Needless to say that the UAE government provided land for this temple and for other temples, as well. It is the endeavour of the Government of UAE to see that all Indians living here should feel at home while living in this country. According to information, it took three years to build this temple and this grand temple was built at the cost of about thirteen crore rupees.
The columnist is writer, educationist and translator currently based in Dubai
