Nearly 64 years after the construction of the first Hindu temple, the small Dubai Hindu Temple complex — which houses the Shiva and Krishna Mandir, dedicated to Lord Shiva and Lord Krishna, in the Bur Dubai heritage area — the Hindu community in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will soon have its first large, independent and traditional temple within the Churches Complex in Jebel Ali Village in southern Dubai. The area includes a number of churches for Copts, Syriacs and Evangelists, in addition to the Guru Nanak Darbar Temple for Sikhs, which was built in 2012.

The Sindhi Guru Darbar Temple will be the second Hindu temple in the UAE but also the first independent temple to be officially inaugurated on Oct. 5 this year in the presence of religious and official figures. The date was chosen because it coincides with the Hindu festival Dussehra, which commemorates the victory of Rama (a Hindu deity) over the 10-headed demon, King Ravana, who kidnapped Rama's wife, Sita.

Al-Monitor’s correspondent visited the construction site of the new temple — which is adjacent to the Guru Nanak Darbar Temple in Jebel Ali Village — after obtaining approval from the Community Development Authority in Dubai (CDA) and the temple administration.

Al-Monitor met with the general manager of the new temple, N. Mohan, who allowed filming of specific spots inside the temple so as not to reveal all of the interior details before the official opening date.