Saturday, Jan 28, 2012

Gulf News

Dubai The UAE’s first official gurudwara, a place of worship for the Sikh community, has opened in Jebel Ali.

“We are thankful to His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, [Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai], with whose permission this has materialised,” said a businessman associated with the gurudwara. Spread over 25,000 square feet near the Jebel Ali Hospital, the gurudwara has a dedicated floor for community feasts and a huge hall for kirtan (devotional songs).

There is parking space in the basement.

Presently the Sikh community offers prayers in a gurudwara in the temple complex in Bur Dubai. There are an estimated 50,000 Sikhs in the UAE, hailing from India and Pakistan.

Courtesy: Gurudwara committee

Massive complex

The new gurudwara in Jebel Ali. There are an estimated 50,000 Sikhs in the UAE, hailing from India and Pakistan.

By Shveta Pathak?Staff Reporter

Gulf News 2012. All rights reserved.