Watch and share the 360-degree virtual reality tour of the Guru Nanak Darbar Sikh Temple, Dubai, UAE.
India and the UAE have generally enjoyed cordial relations, partly due to their shared history with the British presence in Asia, and partly due to the pre-colonial history of trade, commerce and settlement between the two nations. Dubai is an Oasis of religious tolerance.
Sikhs living in the UAE had no common place to gather to worship or celebrate religious festivals or weddings. In Dubai, the Bur Dubai temple and private homes being used for mass gatherings were bursting, prompting community leaders to look into the possibility of building a larger space for the worship of the Guru Granth Sahib. They grew from five families to 10 families to 50 families and it became hard for them to ask the hostess to make 400 chapattis in a day. So they decided that whoever comes bring 10 chapattis, and the hostess would make the vegetables and the dal. Though temporary Gurudwaras had come and gone, the community needed a permanent place of worship.
The very thought of building a permanent and official Gurdwara in the heart of an Islamic state was considered nothing short of an Arabian mirage. The push for an official Gurudwara began about 27 years ago. The proposals kept getting knocked back but they did not give up. It was a pleasant and joyous surprise when consent was received from the Council of Imams. To add to the joy and sense of well-being, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Makhtoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of UAE, bestowed a piece of land free of charge, for the Sikhs to build their Gurdwara.
The ultra-modern Gurudwara is a rare piece of architectural design- A blend of modern and traditional building styles. Gurudwara Guru Nanak Darbar is the manifestation of this Truth. It envelopes all within its warm embrace, irrespective of caste or creed – bringing peace, solace, hope for one and all.Â
Created by Leen Thobias   P4Panorama
