Guru Nanak Darbar, Dubai
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The Guru Nanak Darbar is a Sikh gurdwara at the Churches Complex in Jebel Ali Village, Dubai, founded in 2012 to serve over 50,000 Sikh residents in the Emirate.[1][2][3] The community-run gurdwara is the first official Sikh gurudwara in the GCC region and the Middle East, and it was established by Surender Singh Kandhari, a resident of Dubai since 1976.[1][4][3]
The Guru Nanak Darbar entered in April 2017 the Guinness World Records after it served breakfast to more than 600 people from 101 nationalities.[5][6]
The Guru Nanak Darbar was established in a plot of land of 120,000-square-feet.[7]
The venue was designed by the Dubai-based architect firm Holford Associates.[citation needed] The architects visited gurudwaras in different parts of the world for inspiration.[8]
Construction work started in May 2008, the foundations were laid in June 2010, and the three-storey structure was completed in December 2011.[7] The Sikh community in the UAE had requested a 100-year guarantee from the contractor so that the future generations can continue to use it.[citation needed]
The total cost of the construction works was 65 million dirhams (about $20 million),[9] and it opened its doors to worshippers and visitors, including tourists, on 17 January 2012 in a ceremony attended by 50,000 devotees.[7][10] The construction for the project initially struggled due to the 2008 financial crisis.[11]
Design
The beige-coloured Guru Nanak Darbar is a blend of modern and traditional Sikh building style.[12] It has three levels of underground car parks and two above ground, and the area of each basement is 25,000 square feet to accommodate 140 cars.[12]
The ground floor (21,000 square feet) includes the reception desk, the Gurdwara’s office, a dining hall, a kitchen, a pantry, and store rooms. There are also convenience rooms, a headscarf stand, shoe storage areas, Jora Ghar facilities in several parts of the building.[12]
The building’s façade features a 54-meter Parikarma coated with traditional grill work, and a water body surrounds part of the building to resemble the Sarovar of the Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple).[12]
The Prayer Hall on the first floor has Italian marble on the walls and floor, chandeliers from Murano, Italy, and a purple carpet. It also features 24-carat gold canopies for the Guru Granth Sahib, and in the centre, there is a raised platform with carved gold-plated pillars and above it is a gold-plated lotus-shaped dome. The dome is lined with a piece of cloth that has gold lace at its edge.[12]
ISO Certification
The Guru Nanak Darbar is the world’s first gurudwara to receive ISO Certifications, which were in the areas of Quality Management Standard (ISO 9001:2015), Environmental Management Standard (ISO 14001:2004), Occupational Health and Safety Management Standard (OHSAS 18001:2007), and Food Safety Management Standard (ISO 20000:2005).[citation needed]
Services
The Guru Nanak Darbar holds three-hour classes for children on Saturdays to teach them Punjabi, Kirtan, and Gurdwara protocol.[13][14]
Services offered at the gurudwara include Akhand Path sahib, Sehaj Path, Sukhmani Sahib Path, Kirtan, Langar, child-naming ceremonies, engagements, Anand Karaj (wedding ceremonies), matrimonial services, house-warming prayers, birthday or anniversary prayers, and condolence or memorial prayers.[12]
The Gurudwara houses several facilities at the community’s disposal, and these include a meditation room, a library, Kirtan classes, and Gurbani Santhiya classes.[12][13]