The initial ceremonies are to take place on 4 October, with the official opening on 5 October.
Opening to the public on 5 October on the auspicious day of Dussehra, the Hindu temple in Jebel Ali welcomes people of all faiths.
Blending religion with a touch of modernity, there are 16 deities placed within the distinctive brass spires and sheer white dome of the temple. There’s a large 3D-printed pink lotus across the main prayer hall, adding to the aesthetic of the interiors.
The soft opening was held on 1 September, with the temple management activating the QR-code based appointment booking system via its website. On 4 October, the official opening ceremony of the temple is scheduled with senior officials from the UAE and Indian governments, diplomatic missions and community leaders expected in attendance.
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It was reported in The National that for businessman Vasu Shroff, 82, this is a dream of decades and tens of thousands of Hindu worshippers in the region being realised. According to The National newspaper, “After the Dubai government granted land for the temple in Jebel Ali three years ago, his son Raju Shroff volunteered to take on the task of planning and carrying out the project”
Ever since day one, the temple has seen a lot of visitors. With weekends especially crowded, most slots well into October have already been booked.
The temple is open from 6.30am to 8pm, with the booking system expected to continue till the end of the month.
Located in what’s called the Worship Village, the area houses several churches and the Guru Nanak Darbar Gurudwara. In August, the temple also installed the Guru Granth Sahib, the Holy Book of the Sikhs.
Presently, no rituals apart from chanting of Vedic shlokas by a group of 14 pandits are being carried out. The pandits have been flown in specially from India, performing the chants with visitors every day from 7.30am to 11am and again from 3.30pm till 8.30pm.
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