Dubai's Hindu temple has recorded more than 1.6 million visits in its first year – as worshippers from all faiths and nationalities unite under one roof.
The white-tiled building with brass spires in the Jebel Ali neighbourhood is a vibrant hub for prayers and colourful community gatherings.
Newborns have been brought to the temple for blessings and residents have celebrated the birthday of elderly parents there.
Open to all faiths, the temple has also welcomed people from different countries, including Ukraine, China, Sri Lanka and Colombia, who chose it as the venue for a traditional Indian marriage ceremony.
The temple first opened its doors in August 2022, before holding a grand official opening ceremony in October.
Getting married in the presence of my gods and in their home was a big factor for me
Suraj Negi,
an Indian engineer who married a Chinese national in the Dubai Hindu temple
“It was a moving experience to get married at this beautiful temple,” said Hilda Zhang, a Chinese national who exchanged vows and garlands with Indian citizen Suraj Negi.
“I have been to India and I think this temple is even more beautiful than some I have seen there.”
Blessed by the gods
Ms Zhang, overseas coordinator for a retail and hospitality company, and her partner were among 18 couples who have exchanged wedding vows in the temple since January.
Couples often complete the civil marriage formalities at courts such as the Abu Dhabi Civil Family Court before booking the temple for a wedding ceremony.
Priests from different Indian states speak in English or regional languages as they explain the rituals that can last up to four hours.
“This temple in Dubai is where Suraj finds his inner peace and I was happy to have the ceremony there,” said Beijing-born Ms Zhang, who is an atheist.
“I found the vows very interesting because Suraj was asked to promise he would respect me, consult me for big financial decisions and treat my parents as he would treat his.”
Mr Negi, a civil engineer from Uttarakhand in northern India, said the temple wedding made him feel blessed.
“Dubai will always have a lifelong space in my heart, it is the place I got married and I will cherish this forever,” he said.
“I wanted a peaceful place where I could hear chanting of priests.
“Getting married in the presence of my gods and in their home was a big factor for me.”
Thousands flock to temple each day
Temple authorities said the site draws more than 20,000 visitors a day for festivals and national holidays.
The busiest month was October last year when numbers soared to more than 245,000 people for the Diwali, festival of lights, and Dusshera celebrations that mark the triumph of good over evil.
Watching people stream into the temple fills the organisers with a sense of pride.
“The thought that so many people come under one roof in a peaceful environment is an amazing feeling,” said Raju Shroff, trustee of the Sindhi Guru Darbar temple that oversaw construction.
“I get a real sense of happiness to see so many people praying, meditating and finding solace here.”
Apart from prayer services and family celebrations, space is set aside to teach children the Sanskrit language, classical music and holy scriptures. There are also plans for outreach programmes to support workers and people in need.
“At the moment we have the prayer, community and knowledge halls. We also want to be a platform to connect people in need with our devotees,” Mr Shroff said.
“When people are stuck in a crisis and request help, they can get assistance from lawyers, doctors. Our devotees want to give food, medical and legal advice so people in need can benefit.”
The temple also runs a kitchen that can cater to about 180 guests.
From simple meals served on banana tree leaves to menus with 45 options, the halls are booked for special prayers and colourful Indian festivals such as Holi and Navratri.
“Some people want to follow exact rituals from back home in India, others ask for additions to the food menu,” said N Mohan, the temple’s general manager.
“We try to adapt to the family’s requirements. People are far away from home and want to celebrate in a place they find joy in.”
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
How it works
Each player begins with one of the great empires of history, from Julius Caesar's Rome to Ramses of Egypt, spread over Europe and the Middle East.
Round by round, the player expands their empire. The more land they have, the more money they can take from their coffers for each go.
As unruled land and soldiers are acquired, players must feed them. When a player comes up against land held by another army, they can choose to battle for supremacy.
A dice-based battle system is used and players can get the edge on their enemy with by deploying a renowned hero on the battlefield.
Players that lose battles and land will find their coffers dwindle and troops go hungry. The end goal? Global domination of course.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
It Was Just an Accident
Director: Jafar Panahi
Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr
Rating: 4/5
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League last-16, second leg:
Real Madrid 1 (Asensio 70'), Ajax 4 (Ziyech 7', Neres 18', Tadic 62', Schone 72')
Ajax win 5-3 on aggregate
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The Bio
Favourite holiday destination: Either Kazakhstan or Montenegro. I’ve been involved in events in both countries and they are just stunning.
Favourite book: I am a huge of Robin Cook’s medical thrillers, which I suppose is quite apt right now. My mother introduced me to them back home in New Zealand.
Favourite film or television programme: Forrest Gump is my favourite film, that’s never been up for debate. I love watching repeats of Mash as well.
Inspiration: My late father moulded me into the man I am today. I would also say disappointment and sadness are great motivators. There are times when events have brought me to my knees but it has also made me determined not to let them get the better of me.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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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.
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
The specs: 2018 Renault Megane
Price, base / as tested Dh52,900 / Dh59,200
Engine 1.6L in-line four-cylinder
Transmission Continuously variable transmission
Power 115hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque 156Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 6.6L / 100km
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
List of officials:
Referees: Chris Broad, David Boon, Jeff Crowe, Andy Pycroft, Ranjan Madugalle and Richie Richardson.
Umpires: Aleem Dar, Kumara Dharmasena, Marais Erasmus, Chris Gaffaney, Ian Gould, Richard Illingworth, Richard Kettleborough, Nigel Llong, Bruce Oxenford, Ruchira Palliyaguruge, Sundaram Ravi, Paul Reiffel, Rod Tucker, Michael Gough, Joel Wilson and Paul Wilson.
Breast cancer in men: the facts
1) Breast cancer is men is rare but can develop rapidly. It usually occurs in those over the ages of 60, but can occasionally affect younger men.
2) Symptoms can include a lump, discharge, swollen glands or a rash.
3) People with a history of cancer in the family can be more susceptible.
4) Treatments include surgery and chemotherapy but early diagnosis is the key.
5) Anyone concerned is urged to contact their doctor
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Gully Boy
Director: Zoya Akhtar
Producer: Excel Entertainment & Tiger Baby
Cast: Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Kalki Koechlin, Siddhant Chaturvedi
Rating: 4/5 stars
The Specs:
The Specs:
Engine: 2.9-litre, V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Power: 444bhp
Torque: 600Nm
Price: AED 356,580 incl VAT
On sale: now.
JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH
Directed by: Shaka King
Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Lakeith Stanfield, Jesse Plemons
Four stars
The specs
Engine: 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 715bhp
Torque: 900Nm
Price: Dh1,289,376
On sale: now
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