Hindu Temple Dubai in Diwali 2026: Day by Day Plan, Puja, Celebrations
Hindu Temple Dubai in Jebel Ali celebrates Diwali from 6 to 10 November 2026, with the Lakshmi Kuber Poojan from 6pm to 7pm on Sunday 8 November and Annakut darshan from 11.30am to 6pm on Tuesday 10 November. Entry is free with no booking. The nearest Metro stations are Energy and Ibn Battuta.
Hindu Temple Dubai has published its Diwali 2026 schedule. The temple calls the festival Deepawali Utsav, and it will run for five days. Each day has its own pujas, which are prayers with offerings, and aartis, short prayers in which lamps are waved before the deities. It all ends with Govardhan Puja and the Annakut, a display of food offered to Krishna. The temple posted the full timetable on its Facebook page on 19 October.
Hindu Temple Dubai on Diwali 2026
In this guide, you will find the temple's programme for each day, the special pujas you can book and a look at Diwali here last year. Then come the practical parts: opening hours, what to wear and how to get there by Metro or car.
Hindu Temple Dubai Diwali 2026 Schedule, Day by Day
Hindu Temple Dubai is the big temple in Jebel Ali. It opened in October 2022 and took over from the old Shiva temple in Bur Dubai. It has 16 deities, with Lord Shiva at the centre. These are the ones you will meet most at Diwali:
- Lakshmi: the goddess of wealth and good fortune, the heart of Diwali night
- Ganesha: the remover of obstacles, prayed to at the start of every puja
- Krishna: honoured on the last day, when the Annakut is offered to him
- Durga: the mother goddess of strength
- Rama: whose return home is the story behind Diwali
- Hanuman: Rama's loyal helper
- Sai Baba: the saint of Shirdi, loved by many families
The Diwali programme will run from Friday 6 to Tuesday 10 November.
Friday 6 November, Dhanteras
Dhanteras is the first day of Diwali. Families pray for wealth and good health. This year it falls on a working day, so most people will come for the evening puja.
Dhanvantari Pooja and Havan, 7am to 9am. A havan is a fire ritual, in which priests make offerings into a sacred fire. This one will take place on the temple terrace, for Dhanvantari, the god of medicine and health.
Shree Suktam Path, 10.30am to 11am. Devotees will recite the Shree Suktam together. It is an old Vedic hymn in praise of Lakshmi.
Pradosh Kaal Abhishekham, 4.30pm to 5.30pm. An abhishekam is the bathing of the deities with milk and water, as an act of love. This one will be in the early evening.
Lakshmi Kuber Poojan and aarti, 6pm to 6.45pm. This is the main prayer of Dhanteras. You pray to Lakshmi and to Kuber, the treasurer of the gods. Coming straight from work? Aim for this one.
Saturday 7 November, Choti Diwali
Saturday will be a calmer day at the temple. There will be three short prayers:
- 7.30am: Lakshmi aarti
- 10.30am: the Shree Suktam
- 6.30pm: Lakshmi aarti again
Want a quiet visit? Come on Saturday morning. You miss the Diwali night crowd, and the temple is already lit and decorated.
Sunday 8 November, Diwali and Lakshmi Puja
Lakshmi Mata aarti, 7.30am and 11.30am. These are two short aartis in the morning. They will be the quietest times to visit on Diwali day.
Deepawali Mahatmya, 10.30am. This is a talk on the meaning of Diwali. The Shree Suktam will follow at 11am.
Shree Lakshmi Stotra Parayan, 5.30pm to 6pm. Devotees will chant Lakshmi's hymns together to get ready for the main puja.
Lakshmi Kuber Poojan and aarti, 6pm to 7pm. This is the main prayer of Diwali, and the temple will be at its fullest in this hour. The temple warns that entry and seating may be limited if the crowd is large.
Are you doing your own puja at home or at the office? The temple lists these auspicious times, called muhurat, for Lakshmi Puja on Diwali:
- 10.40am to 12.02pm
- 1.25pm to 2.47pm
- 5.33pm to 7.10pm
Other Hindu calendars give slightly different times. Gulf News, for example, lists 5.58pm to 7.56pm.
Monday 9 November, Darsha Amavasya
Darsha Amavasya is the new-moon day after Diwali. The temple will hold Lakshmi aarti at 7.30am and 6.30pm, and the Shree Suktam at 10.30am. Monday is a work and school day, so expect a calmer temple.
Tuesday 10 November, Govardhan Puja and Annakut
Govardhan Puja remembers an old story about Krishna. He lifted Govardhan Hill to shelter the villagers from a storm, and they thanked him with a mountain of food. That offering is the Annakut. For many Gujarati families, this day is also the new year.
Shree Krishna aarti, 9am to 9.15am. The day will begin with a short aarti to Krishna.
Govardhan and Annakut Pooja, 10.30am to 11.30am. Priests will make the food offering to Krishna.
Annakut darshan, 11.30am to 6pm. Darshan means seeing the deity, and here you also see the food laid out before Krishna. The display will stay open for six and a half hours, so you can come at any time of day.
Annakut aarti, 6pm to 6.15pm. This is the closing prayer of the festival.
Special Pujas You Can Book at Hindu Temple Dubai for Diwali
Would you like a puja said in your family's name? From Friday 6 to Sunday 8 November, the temple offers three special pujas that you book in advance:
- Shree Lakshmi Narayan Archana: a short puja to Lakshmi and Vishnu, about 10 minutes
- Shree Lakshmi Kuber Archana: a short puja to Lakshmi and Kuber, about 10 minutes
- Shree Lakshmi Narayan Abhishekham: the bathing of the deities, about 30 minutes
An archana is a short puja in which the priest offers prayers in your family's name. To book, or to ask about prices, call the temple on 054 584 2951. It has not published the prices.
What Happened at Hindu Temple Dubai on Diwali 2025
Last year, Diwali fell on Monday 20 October, so the busiest days ran across a weekend. The crowds grew each day, as the chart below shows.
On Saturday 18 October, the temple ran a children's workshop for ages 8 to 15. More than 200 children signed up. They made rangoli, patterns of coloured powder on the floor, and Diwali decorations.
On Diwali day, Monday 20 October, people came from morning until evening, and the temple glowed under special Diwali lights. To keep the crowd moving, the temple ran separate queues: families at the front entrance and single men through the basement. Its indoor community halls became waiting areas. Dubai Police and the RTA helped with the crowd. The RTA also ran feeder buses more often from Energy and Ibn Battuta stations.
Wednesday 22 October was the Annakut day. The temple gave out close to 70 kinds of sweets as prasad, the food that is offered to God and then shared as a blessing.
Want to see what it feels like? A visitor filmed the temple at Diwali 2025:
Hindu Temple Dubai Timings and Aarti Timings
The temple has not published its current daily opening hours. Last year it was open from 6am to 8.30pm. It closed for a short time in April 2026, then reopened with shorter hours, from 6am to 6pm. The Diwali programme will run from 7am to 7pm.
So plan your visit around the Diwali times above. Before you go, call 054 584 2951 or check the temple's Facebook page. The page also posts the pujas and aartis for each week. It is the best place to find the usual aarti times.
Do You Need to Book Hindu Temple Dubai on Diwali?
No, you do not need to book to enter. Entry is free, and the Diwali schedule says nothing about tickets or time slots. You only book the special archanas and the abhishekam, by phone.
The temple's website, hindutempledubai.com, still shows a "Coming Soon" page. The QR booking it used after it opened in 2022 has stopped. On the busiest evenings, the temple may limit entry for safety. If you plan to come on Sunday 8 November, arrive well before 6pm.
Hindu Temple Dubai Dress Code
The temple has no written dress code. Dress as you would for any Hindu temple, with your shoulders and knees covered. Avoid tight or see-through clothes, and clothes with slogans. Diwali is a time to dress up, so Indian festive wear is very welcome. Many families wear new clothes for the day.
You take your shoes off before you enter the prayer hall. At Diwali you will do this in a crowd, so wear shoes you can slip off quickly. Keep your bag small too.
How to Reach Hindu Temple Dubai: Nearest Metro and Parking
The temple is in Jebel Ali Village, in an area people call the worship village. It stands next to the Guru Nanak Darbar Gurudwara, and several churches are close by. The nearest Metro stations are Energy and Ibn Battuta, both on the Red Line.
The temple and the gurudwara share one complex and one car park. On Diwali night, Sunday 8 November, both will be full at the same time, and a parking space will be hard to find. Leave the car at home that evening and take the Metro and a taxi.
When to Go With Children on Diwali
Going with small children? Choose the Sunday morning aartis at 7.30am or 11.30am, or the Annakut on Tuesday 10 November. The Annakut is on display all day from 11.30am. At these times the temple is decorated and the lamps are lit, but the queues are short. Diwali evening is beautiful. Still, a long queue in a crowd is hard for little ones.
For more family plans over the festival, see our guide to Diwali events for kids in Dubai.
The Gurudwara Next Door on Diwali
Sikhs celebrate Bandi Chhor Divas at the same time as Diwali. That is why Guru Nanak Darbar Gurudwara, next door, is just as busy. Last year about 25,000 people came on Diwali day. They came for prayers and for langar, the free community meal, which was served all day.
Everyone is welcome to eat, whatever their faith. Cover your head, take off your shoes and do not wear shorts. The gurudwara's November 2026 programme is not out yet.
Our guide to Diwali at Hindu temples in Dubai and Abu Dhabi covers the other places families go:
- BAPS Hindu Mandir: the carved stone mandir in Abu Dhabi, with its Maha Annakut
- Shri Krishna Temple: the small old temple in Bur Dubai
- The gurudwara: what happens there on each day of the festival
- Sharjah: whether there is a temple to visit
FAQs
What are Hindu Temple Dubai's timings on Diwali 2026?
The Diwali programme runs from 7am to 7pm. On Sunday 8 November there are aartis at 7.30am and 11.30am and the Lakshmi Kuber Poojan from 6pm to 7pm. The temple has not published its general opening hours, so call 054 584 2951 before you go.
When is the Annakut at Hindu Temple Dubai in 2026?
On Tuesday 10 November. The Govardhan and Annakut Pooja is at 10.30am, the Annakut darshan is open from 11.30am to 6pm, and the Annakut aarti is at 6pm.
Do I need to book to visit Hindu Temple Dubai at Diwali?
No. Entry is free and no booking is needed. Only the special Lakshmi archanas and abhishekam from 6 to 8 November are booked, on 054 584 2951. The temple may limit entry when crowds are large.
What is the dress code at Hindu Temple Dubai?
The temple has no published dress code. Wear modest clothes with shoulders and knees covered, and take your shoes off before the prayer hall. Indian festive wear is welcome at Diwali.
What is the nearest Metro station to Hindu Temple Dubai?
Energy and Ibn Battuta, both on the Red Line. From there, take bus F44 or a short taxi ride to the temple in Jebel Ali Village.
Sources and method8 sources from 6 publishers
- About this guide: checked on 29 October 2026 on the temple's Facebook page, which carries its Diwali 2026 schedule, and in UAE newspapers.
- Hindu Temple Dubai on Facebook Deepawali Utsav 2026 schedule
- Gulf News Diwali 2025: Dubai's Hindu Temple and Gurudwara brace for around 50,000 worshippersFrom streets to temples: how UAE's Diwali 2025 celebrations mirrored IndiaDiwali 2026 in the UAE: festivals, temples and where to celebrate
- Hinduism Today Dubai Hindu temple, church and Sikh gurdwara reopen in phased return
- The National Dubai Hindu temple official opening: prayer timings and bookings
- Wikipedia Hindu Temple, Dubai
