The Dubai Hindu Temple is a place of worship for Hindus in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). The temple caters to the large Hindu community in the United Arab Emirates. The temple complex, initially established in 1958 in Bur Dubai, comprised the Shiva Mandir, Krishna Mandir, and Gurudwara.
In October 2022, the Shiva Mandir and Gurudwara were relocated to a new Hindu Temple at a site in Jebel Ali. Krishna Mandir continues to stay at the Bur Dubai location.
History
In 1958, Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed al Maktoum permitted a Hindu temple to be built on the first floor on top of a warren of old-fashioned shops in Bur Dubai.[1][2] This shopping center is known as the "Bur Dubai Old Souk" and is located west of the Dubai Creek in the area known as Bur Dubai. This original temple complex housed the Shiva Mandir, Krishna Mandir, and Gurudwara.[3] This temple had a prayer hall with two altars or shrines ("Sannidhis") on two sides, one for Shiva and one for Krishna. And a third altar for Gurudwara. Underneath the temple hall, there are small old-fashioned shops. This is the shopping center, and there's no particular identifiable gateway. There are walls built to make the structure sound proof as per government laws to noise control because of structures position in small crowded market.[4]
The Hindu Temple, Dubai opened on 5 October, 2022 in Jebel Ali, which includes the Shiva Mandir and Gurudwara.[3] Constructed at a cost of approximately 60 million dirhams, the new Hindu Temple exhibits a fusion of Indian and Arabic architectural styles.[5] The temple was built using 900 tonnes of steel, 6,000 cubic meters of concrete, and 1,500 square meters of marble.[5] The temple has 16 deities including Shiva, Krishna, Ganesh, and Mahalakshmi deities along with the Guru Granth Sahib.[6] The temple's structure includes hard carved pillars and lattice screens.[5] The structure also includes nine brass spires (kalashas) ornamenting the outer domes.[6]
On 3 January 2024, the Shiva Mandir and Gurudwara closed at Bur Dubai complex and relocated all services at the new Hindu Temple, Dubai in Jebel Ali. The Krishna Mandir is still located at the temple complex in Bur Dubai.[3]
Features
The Hindu Temple, Dubai has a first floor main prayer hall decorated with a pink lotus sculpture and an open terrace. It also has an upper prayer hall with 108 brass bells and a banquet hall.[5] It features a facade partially shaded with a blend of Arabic mashrabiya architecture and traditional Hindu designs. White and black marble statues of deities, crafted in Jaipur, Kanyakumari, and Madurai, adorn the temple.[7]
