Diwali 2025: Dubai's Hindu Temple and Gurudwara brace for around 50,000 worshippers

Dubai: Dubai's Indian places of worship are all decked up and bracing for an unprecedented surge of devotees this Diwali, with comprehensive security arrangements in place to manage the festive rush on Sunday and Monday.

The Hindu Temple Dubai and the Guru Nanak Darbar Gurudwara have been lit up in style for the Indian festival of lights. The neighbouring places of worship located adjacent to the Christian churches in the Worship Village area in Jebeli Ali are bracing for the festive rush.

With Diwali falling on Monday, October 20, and the weekend providing additional days for celebrations, community leaders have implemented comprehensive crowd management strategies to ensure a smooth and safe festive experience.

The temple expects different crowd patterns for the celebrations. "On Saturday we had more than 10,000 visitors. Today, we are expecting 18,000 to 20,000 devotees, while Monday's celebrations could draw more than 25,000 worshippers," N Mohan, general manager of the Hindu Temple Dubai, told Gulf News, on Sunday morning.

Both venues have coordinated with Dubai Police and the Roads and Transport Authority to manage the anticipated crowds. The Hindu Temple Dubai has implemented separate queue systems, with bachelor entries from the basement area and family queues maintained at the front entrance.

"We've held meetings to ensure proper security arrangements and smooth crowd flow," Mohan explained. "The RTA has already increased the frequency of feeder buses from Energy and Ibn Battuta Metro stations, which we're very thankful for."

The temple's operating hours remain from 6am to 8:30pm, though timings may be extended depending on crowd flow. Indoor community halls will serve as holding areas to ensure devotees aren't left standing outside.

Multiple activities have been planned to include rangoli displays,prayer sessions, and other traditional rituals. The festivities will culminate on October 22 with Annakut, where close to 70 varieties of sweet dishes will be offered as prasad.

Mohan said the Hindu Temple Dubai received over 200 registrations for a Diwali-special children's workshop held on Saturday, October 18. The workshop, designed for youngsters aged between eight and 15 years, taught traditional Diwali crafts including rangoli designs and decorative items.

"We saw a lot of enthusiasm from families wanting their children to connect with cultural traditions. The response was overwhelming,” said Mohan.

At Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara, which has been illuminated for the festivities, expects around 15,000 visitors on Sunday, rising up to 25,000 on Diwali day, said chairman Surender Singh Kandhari.

The gurdwara has taken a unified approach to crowd management, he said.

The Sikh place of worship will hold special prayers and serve langar (community kitchen meal) throughout the day on Diwali, unlike the usual three-meal schedule. The kitchen is preparing substantial quantities: 1,000kg of wheat flour, 800kg of rice, 600kg of lentils, along with 200kg each of rice pudding, semolina halwa, and sacred sweet offering.

"By God's grace, we have never had any shortage of food. We're quite geared up now. We always prepare in advance when we know more people are coming,” said Kandhari.

Any surplus food is distributed to the labour community in the evening, ensuring nothing goes to waste.

Both venues have increased their volunteer and security personnel for the festival period. The management systems, refined over years of experience, ensure visitor safety remains the top priority.

"We're very careful and cautious. We don't want anything to go wrong," Kandhari noted.

The gurdwara will maintain its regular hours from 4:30am to 8:30pm throughout the festival period while the temple might extend opening hours depending on the flow of the crowd, the community leaders said.