On the occasion of Ram Navmi in the Jebel Ali area, Dubai a large Hindu temple with 16 gods opened its doors to visitors. The white architectural wonder claims to be the first community-driven temple in the UAE and adds its name to the Dubai's multifaith centre.

According to temple officials, the principal guest was Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, the country's Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, and the honoree was Sunjay Sudhir, the Indian Ambassador to the UAE. Several prominent CDA officials, including Coexistence and the Indian Ambassador to the UAE, attended the occasion.

"Yet another Hindu temple is opening in a multi-religious complex in Dubai. It houses 16 Hindu deities&also Guru Granth Sahib. UAE's Min of Tolerance Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan will inaugurate the temple, to open close to Dussehra," said Sunjay Sudhir, India's ambassador to UAE.

The structure is situated near the Guru Nanak Darbar Gurudwara and several churches in Jebel Ali's "Worship Village." The Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikhs' Holy Book, is one of its 16 deities.

“We are a community-driven temple founded in 2022. The Hindu Temple Dubai is a space informed by tradition, nurtured by faith and crafted for the future,” said the temple statement.

“It’s a contemporary spiritual hub, for all faiths, that houses the many faces of divinity from communal connection to worship, knowledge and societal aid,” it added.

The Hindu committee has chosen to refer to it as the Dubai Hindu Temple rather than a Shiva, Krishna, or Durga temple which is open to all faiths.

The temple, which can hold up to 1,200 worshipers each day with ease, experienced a massive influx of visitors on the first day. The 80,000 square foot temple contains 16 gods, including Shiva, Krishna, Ganesh, and Mahalakshmi, as well as the Guru Granth Sahib.