The instances i caught the opposing sides of a city in the making.

The Hindu Temple will go unnoticed by all. It is the only Hindu Temple in United Arab Emirates. A one storey building that houses the Shiva and Krishna sects. The Hindu temple sits among some glorious standouts in the Arabian heat. The smell of sweat greased with the desire to explore led me there.

It is located just after the famous Dubai Museum and the Grand Mosque. The Dubai Museum is famous and easy to locate on Al Fahidi Fort, if you coming from the Maritime City locate the 34th Street turn off to Ali Bin Abi Taleb. The Grand Mosque is by the left, the Hindu Temple is just behind the Mosque.
Coming from the British Consulate? Use the Al Seef Road all the way to The Ruler’s Court on Al Fahidi Street. You come to see the Museum, proceed north for another 100 meters the Mosque appears again behind it is the Hindu Temple in a “sea of Arabs”.

The Temple goes unnoticed because it looks like a regular building. It has a squarely semi-park that doubles as snack joint. This space in front of the temple is roughly 50 square meters. As most parks do have, a bench to sit and tree to shade you from dehydrating sun. I sat on the bench while my friend and Instructor, Piyush went inside to ask if a person of my race could enter into the temple.

I will get back on track with my request to enter the temple. You should visit the Hindu Temple next time you are in Dubai. With the city filled with the volumes of awareness that you are in an Arab world it’s very easy to miss the intricate details of a smaller group in that same space. The curiosity to learn and experience what’s like visit and worship in a Hindu Temple not based in India or Pakistan but in an Arab Country when you are not Indian nor Arab, European nor American but an African led me to this travel treasure.

I saw Piyush smile as he walked towards me under the shade of a tree. He said “Anyone of any race is welcomed”. We smiled together walking towards the entrance, he said to me: “Do exactly what I do”

Once inside, there are white pillar columns in two rows leaving a space between them for worshippers to navigate. On the walls along the pillars, are images or pictures of gods and goddesses. Each should be worshipped as you move along to the front of the hall where the grand god sits and the leader of the temple stands to bless you. You stage out through a door to the right.

A piece of advice, take off your shoes and do not go out the way you came in.