Dubai’s newest Hindu temple marked the topping out of construction with a prayer service. The new temple is being constructed next to the Guru Nanak Darbar in Jebel Ali. The temple will be home to 11 Hindu deities, catering to the religious beliefs of Hindu communities belonging to all parts of India, a senior official stated.

With the trial opening scheduled for July-August period, the temple is on track for official opening in October this year during the Dussehra festival, according to a report by Khaleej Times.

The building includes two basements, a ground floor and first floor. It will feature a 4,000sqft banquet hall that can accommodate a gathering of 775 people approximately, and a smaller 1,000sqft multipurpose room for events up to 100 people.

“We are ahead of schedule and are expected to complete in four months. From July-August, we would have a trial operation phase to put in place strict safety protocols,” explained Raju Shroff, one of the trustees of the Gurudarbar Sindhi Temple.

Nine brass Kalash (a metal or stone spire used to top the domes of Hindu temples) spires will soon soar over the temple as preparations for its opening picks up speed. The spires were specially imported from India, he stated.

He concluded, “There will be nine kalashas that will be part of the puja. The tallest kalash is 1.8m high and weighs about 120kg. The remaining eight are each about 1.2m high and weigh about 90 kg.”