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November 11, 2009 : Gurupurab Article -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- July 7, 2009 Manika Kaur's Bandhana Please visit
November 22, 2008 $20 Million Dubai Gurudwara First In The Gulf AT one time, the very thought of buliding a Gurudwara in the heart of an Islamic state was considered nothing short of an Arabian mirage. Today, once-the-unimaginable has happened. Guru Nanak Darbar is fast rising from the sands of Dubai, making it the first 'official' Sikh temple in the whole of Gulf. And if things go according to plan, the 50.000 strong Sikh community living in Dubai will be celebrating Baisakhi there in April 2010. "That's when I will think I have done something for the community," says Surender Singh Kandhari, the man who made it all happen. It was a journey to the unknown when Mr. Kandhari, a well-respected businessman in Dubai, approached Dubai authorities with his, what is calls, "a dream project." Convincing the officials of the Ministry of Islamic Affair that there is nothing anti-Islamic about setting up a Gurudwara, was the most difficult job. Mr. Kandhari, who is also the Captain of the prestigious Emirates Golf Club in Dubai, needed to bring all his convincing powers and knowledge about the region into full play - and finally he succeeded. "It was hard to explain the Ministry officials even the idea of sangat and langar. I had to translate excerpts from Guru Granth Saheb and read out to them. Sikhs don't worship idols like in Islam, and how the idea of equality was inherent in Sikhism. Once they were convinced that setting up a Gurudwara is not anti-Islamic, things quickly started falling in place. His HIghness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Makhtoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of UAE, was very gracious to grant permission for building of the gurudwara. "The permission is one thing, look at gesture- he gave us 25400 square feet of land free for the community!" "Now you know why Dubai is so special. And why Guru Nanak Darbar is special. My dream is to make it the best after Golden Temple in Amritsar," said Kandhari. The internationally reputed Dubai based architect firm Holford Associates has designed the Dubai gurudwara. Holdford Associates already has to its credit over 20 churches, four mosques and one temple. "We also had the suppport of Richard Adams from UK who was involved with the Shri Guru Singh Sabha Gurudwara on the Havelock Road in Southall, London." "Before awarding the contract, we asked the architects there to visit the Gurudwaras around the world, find each one's imperfection and make a perfect Gurudwara. A masterpiece which will serve the needs of the community," said Mr. Kandhari, chairman of Al |
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