Temple in Dubai
The Temple in Dubai in the UAE, locally referred to as Shiva and Krishna Mandir, is basically a temple complex built in the city to cater to the Hindu community in the country. It is currently the only Hindu temple in the country, though plans are underway to construct another temple of its kind in Abu Dhabi. It is specifically located west of the Dubai Creek in the Bur Dubai Old Souk) and is run in conjunction with the Indian consulate in the city.
This temple complex is composed of a Shiva temple and a Krishna temple, where the former is on the first floor and formerly houses a gurudwara, where kirtan and shabad are performed the whole day, while the latter is on the ground floor.
The gurudwara was already moved to a new place near Jebel Ali. The temple performs marriage ceremonies between Hindus, but registrations of these marriages cannot be performed in the country.
Like when visiting other Hindu temples around the world, there are important things to keep in mind before you enter the Temple in Dubai. If desired, it is fine to buy offerings for the deities, who can be offered a variety of things, such as cloth, fruits, flowers, coconut and sweets.
As a form of respect, the offering is believed by Hindus to please the Gods and help worshippers with fulfilling their prayers and getting blessed.
You should remember to remove your footwear (whether it is a pair of shoes, chappals or sandals) outside the temple, as like most temples, it has a space designated for the same purpose. Socks are fine, so you can keep wearing them, unless the floor is too slippery for you that you have to also remove them and walk barefooted.
When trying to get a closer view of the idols, you should observe the queue for “darshan” or the practice of seeing the idol, as like many temples, the Temple in Dubai also has separate queues for men and women that you need to follow accordingly. When you finally get to see the idols closely, you might need to join your palms near your heart into a “namaskar” (a traditional Indian greeting or gesture of respect) and then bow.
But if you are a foreign visitor, it is fine not to do it if you do not wish to. Most importantly, you should avoid touching the statues, even just one of them, and instead keep a respectful distance.
As for the food, the temple will offer you access to great deals of vegetarian food for breakfast, lunch or dinner that will make for a more memorable visit. The many good restaurants around the temple include the nearby Pooranmal Restaurant, where you can swoop on some delicious south and north Indian cuisines, such as Masala Dosa and Paani Puri. It is said that a visit to this restaurant is a must after the temple to satisfy your gastronomical cravings.
For the best itinerary when visiting Dubai and its temple, you can check out the Dubai holiday packages that we provide here at La Vacanza Travel.