In pictures: Dubai's newest Hindu temple's journey from an idea to a grand place of worship

Dubai's newest Hindu temple is set to have a grand unveiling today, October 4. The doors of the temple will officially open to the public on October 5 - the day of the major Hindu festival Dussehra.

The temple's foundation stone was laid in August 2020.

The new temple was constructed adjacent to the Guru Nanak Darbar in Jebel Ali, making the locality a multi-religious corridor in Dubai.

The construction was halfway complete in September 2021. The temple was built to have a distinctive Arabian look.

“The columns on the facade and interior were inspired by the traditional columns of the Somnath Temple in Gujarat, India. The main Shikhar dome is inspired by the Nagara style of the Hindu temple architecture found predominantly in North India,” said Raju Shroff, an Indian businessman and one of the trustees of the Sindhi Guru Darbar Temple.

A prayer service was held at the temple in February 2022 to mark the construction top-up ceremony.

Nine glittering brass spires, or kalashas used to cap the temple domes, have been installed upon the temple. The spires located on top were specially imported from India.

The event was attended by trustees and special guests of the temple. By this point, the construction was almost complete.

Khaleej Times was given an exclusive look inside the temple interiors weeks before the official opening.

The temple is to open in two phases - in the first phase, the place of worship will be open to the public. In the second phase the knowledge room and community room will be available to the public. Visitors would also be able to host weddings and other events in the space.

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