Sikhism in the United Arab Emirates
| Part of a series on |
| Sikhism |
|---|
 |
|
|
Sikhism in the United Arab Emirates has a following of over 50,000;[1] the majority of Sikhs in the UAE are found in Dubai and are expatriates hailing from India and Pakistan.
The Sikh Gurdwara in Dubai, Guru Nanak Darbar,[2] serves over 10,000 worshippers. In June 2010, foundations were laid for the Guru Nanak Darbar. At a cost of $20 million, the large gurdwara is located in Jebel Ali, Dubai and will be the first 'official' Sikh temple in the entire Gulf, catering to the needs of the local Sikh community.[3] An area of 25,400 sq ft (2,360 m2) of land was given by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum for the construction of the building. A community member and local businessman who proposed the gurdwara remarked "My dream is to make Guru Nanak Durbar the best, second only to the Golden Temple in Amritsar.[4]
Gurunanak Darbar is modelled on both the Golden Temple and the gurdwara in Southall, London by Interior designer Paul Bishop. Apart from a large carpeted prayer hall, there are three smaller rooms for private functions, a meditation room, a library and the spacious 'langar' or common kitchen hall. The state-of-the-art kitchen can serve the 10,000 plus worshipers who come every Friday. [5]
To develop religious values among the next generation of NRIs, special three-hour sessions are held for children on Saturdays at the temple where they are taught Punjabi, 'Kirtans' and how to behave in places of worship.[6]
References[]
- ^ Sikhs in Dubai Sikhs in Dubai Archived 2010-11-19 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Dubai's grand gurdwara pulls crowds". Hindustan Times. 4 July 2012. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
- ^ First 'official' gurdwara in Dubai - The Times of India
- ^ $20 mn Dubai gurudwara first in Gulf - IndiaPost
- ^ "Yahoo Search - Web Search".
- ^ "Yahoo Search - Web Search".
External links[]
| ||
Sikhism in Asia | |
|---|---|
| Sovereign states |
|
| States with limited recognition | |
| Dependencies and other territories | |
| |
 | This Sikhism-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by . |
 | This United Arab Emirates-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by . |
- Sikhism in the United Arab Emirates
- Sikhism by country
- Sikhism stubs
- United Arab Emirates stubs