Emotions ran high as worshippers arrived at the 65-year-old Hindu temple in Bur Dubai on Tuesday evening to offer their prayers “one last time” before it closed on Wednesday.
They can now visit the new temple in Jebel Ali, which opened on October 22.
Built in 1958 in Bur Dubai’s Old Souq, the Sindhi Guru Darbar temple complex, housing Bur Dubai Shiv Temple and the gurdwara, where Sikhs worship, served as a spiritual sanctuary for hundreds of thousands of Hindu worshippers and tourists.
“I am heart-broken,” Chandra Sachdev, 65, from Mumbai told The National.
A Bur Dubai resident whose house is a 15-minute walk from the temple, Chandra Sachdev has been worshipping at the temple for more than 40 years.
“The temple has a special place in my heart forever. I used to come here twice a day. Every morning and evening. I wish it would stay here in Bur Dubai,” she said, before adding she was disappointed at the prospect of having to travel across the city to worship from now on.
“It is so far away. How will I go there every day?” said Ms Sachdev.
According to sources, the relocation is the result of safety concerns about the old temple complex as well as the inability to accommodate the growing number of visitors.
Increase in worshippers
What began as a small worship hall on top of a maze of small shops in the Old Souq, today the temple is a cultural centre hosting hundreds of devotees daily and on special occasions.
It is also a major tourist attraction with a labyrinth of narrow alleys lined with shops selling fresh flowers, garlands, and incense sticks, transporting visitors to the rich cultural tapestry of Dubai.
For many UAE residents, the temple has been an inseparable part of their life that offered spiritual foundation.
Abu Dhabi resident Srinivas Asapu drove all the way to Dubai on Tuesday evening with his wife Ratna and daughter Preethi to pray at his favourite temple before it closed.
“We did not want to miss the last chance. We were praying here for the last 24 years. It won’t be the same at the new place,” Mr Asapu from Andhra Pradesh told The National.
He said the hour and a half drive from Abu Dhabi never stopped him from coming to the temple regularly.
“It feels very personal. You feel so connected to the deity when you make offerings from such close quarters. I cannot imagine praying anywhere else,” he said.
The newly-built hand-carved temple in Abu Dhabi will be officially opened by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi next month.
The landmark white marble and pink sandstone structure already draws thousands of people from different faiths and nationalities who pray over and bless bricks used at the temple site in Abu Dhabi’s Abu Mureikha area.
But for many devotees, it wont be the same as the old temple in Bur Dubai.
Darshan Shastri, a priest who worked in the Shiva temple, told The National that there is “no bigger sorrow” than to see the temple close.
“I have been working here for the last eight years. For thousands of devotees, this temple has a special place in their lives,” he said.
“Thousands have found solace for their worries here. Everyone is sad beyond words.”
Hindu and Sikh temples coexist
The Bur Dubai Hindu temple complex is also one of the rare places where a Hindu temple and Gurudwara of the Sikh community coexist.
Hindus and Sikhs come in droves daily to offer prayers at their respective places of worship that sit adjacent to each other.
A steep spiral of steps takes worshippers to a heavily-decked prayer hall of the gurdwara where men and women have to cover their heads before they enter.
It is a rare experience to hear the Hindu chants and prayers reverberate in the hall downstairs, especially during the “Aarti” or lighting ceremony, while simultaneously the Sikh Kirtan (devotional songs) are played inside the prayer hall above.
Bur Dubai resident Kirpal Singh, 64, was among the early Sikh attendees who saw the temple transform from a small place of worship to what it is today.
“I cannot remember a day when I have not prayed here. My day starts at the temple and ends here. I cannot imagine my life without this temple,” he said.
“Separating us from this temple is like tearing us away from our own family.”
Closure of the temple complex is seen as “life-altering” by many devotees like Ashok Odhrani, 61, who grew up playing in the temple premises.
“I remember riding my bicycle with friends as a six-year-old inside the temple compound. This temple has been part of my life and for so many other people for decades. It is truly an end of an era,” said Mr Odhrani, who is also a temple committee member.
He said anything between 500 and 600 small shops selling flowers and other worship items around the old temple area will also take a hit.
“They will, hopefully, also move to the new location in Jebel Ali,” said Mr Odhrani.
Even though the shutters will be down on the temple, Mr Odhrani said the Indian community is still eager to find a way to preserve the old temple.
“I am still getting desperate calls from worshippers who are pleading to keep the temple as it is. Efforts are already underway in that direction,” he said.
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
At Eternity’s Gate
Director: Julian Schnabel
Starring: Willem Dafoe, Oscar Isaacs, Mads Mikkelsen
Three stars
What's in the deal?
Agreement aims to boost trade by £25.5bn a year in the long run, compared with a total of £42.6bn in 2024
India will slash levies on medical devices, machinery, cosmetics, soft drinks and lamb.
India will also cut automotive tariffs to 10% under a quota from over 100% currently.
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Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
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Expert advice
“Join in with a group like Cycle Safe Dubai or TrainYAS, where you’ll meet like-minded people and always have support on hand.”
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Result
UAE (S. Tagliabue 90 1') 1-2 Uzbekistan (Shokhruz Norkhonov 48', 86')
Petrarch: Everywhere a Wanderer
Christopher Celenza,
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MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Manchester United v Barcelona, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Match on BeIN Sports
The figures behind the event
1) More than 300 in-house cleaning crew
2) 165 staff assigned to sanitise public areas throughout the show
3) 1,000 social distancing stickers
4) 809 hand sanitiser dispensers placed throughout the venue
RESULT
West Brom 2 Liverpool 2
West Brom: Livermore (79'), Rondón (88' )
Liverpool: Ings (4'), Salah (72')
Key facilities
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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
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Opening Premier League fixtures, August 14
- Brentford v Arsenal
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- Chelsea v Crystal Palace
- Everton v Southampton
- Leicester City v Wolves
- Manchester United v Leeds United
- Newcastle United v West Ham United
- Norwich City v Liverpool
- Tottenham v Manchester City
- Watford v Aston Villa
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
MATCH INFO
Everton v Tottenham, Sunday, 8.30pm (UAE)
Match is live on BeIN Sports
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
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UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
Ads on social media can 'normalise' drugs
A UK report on youth social media habits commissioned by advocacy group Volteface found a quarter of young people were exposed to illegal drug dealers on social media.
The poll of 2,006 people aged 16-24 assessed their exposure to drug dealers online in a nationally representative survey.
Of those admitting to seeing drugs for sale online, 56 per cent saw them advertised on Snapchat, 55 per cent on Instagram and 47 per cent on Facebook.
Cannabis was the drug most pushed by online dealers, with 63 per cent of survey respondents claiming to have seen adverts on social media for the drug, followed by cocaine (26 per cent) and MDMA/ecstasy, with 24 per cent of people.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The biog
Hometown: Birchgrove, Sydney Australia
Age: 59
Favourite TV series: Outlander Netflix series
Favourite place in the UAE: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque / desert / Louvre Abu Dhabi
Favourite book: Father of our Nation: Collected Quotes of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
Thing you will miss most about the UAE: My friends and family, Formula 1, having Friday's off, desert adventures, and Arabic culture and people
West Asia Premiership
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The bio
Favourite vegetable: Broccoli
Favourite food: Seafood
Favourite thing to cook: Duck l'orange
Favourite book: Give and Take by Adam Grant, one of his professors at University of Pennsylvania
Favourite place to travel: Home in Kuwait.
Favourite place in the UAE: Al Qudra lakes
Company%20Profile
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A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
