Dubai: The doors of the newest Hindu temple in Jebel Ali opened to the faithful on Tuesday. Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Tolerance and Co-operation, lit the lamp and performed the official opening.
The function was organized in the main prayer hall. Indian Ambassador Sanjay Sudhir, CEO of Social Regulatory and Licensing Agency of Community Development Authority (CDA) Dr. Omar Al Muthanna, Temple Trustee Raju Shroff and Director General of Community Development Authority Ahmed Abdul Karim Julfar were present along with Sheikh Nahyan.
More than 200 dignitaries including various diplomatic officials, religious leaders, business owners and members of the Indian community attended the inauguration ceremony. Raju Shroff welcomed.
The new temple has been built next to the Sikh Gurdwara and the Christian mosques by realizing the tolerance and secularism put forward by the UAE.
Lord Shiva is the main deity. There are a total of sixteen deities like Swami Ayyappan and Guruvayurappan. Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of Sikhs, is also kept as a special deity in the temple. Jebel Ali currently has nine places of worship, including a new temple and seven mosques. The new temple is adjacent to the Gurdwara, which opened in 2012. Sanjay Sudhir said it will fulfill the religious aspirations of the Hindu community in the UAE. Even during the pandemic, no construction was interrupted due to the support of the Dubai government. Shroff said the temple is a dream come true for Indians across the UAE. Shroff explained that around 200,000 people visited the temple in September. Registration is mandatory for visiting the temple. This is the biggest temple in Dubai.