Indians Temple

The Hindu temple, serving as a cultural and artistic link between Iran and India, was constructed to meet the religious needs of the Indians, who were busy doing transactions and commerce in the city of Bandar Abbas from 1921 through 1965.

Indians are followers of Brahma school of thought and believe in Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Research shows that the temple belongs to the goddess of Vishnu. The building was built in 1893 when Hassan Khan Sa’ed-ol-malik, the governor, took advantage of some skilled Indian architects to erect the structure.

Noticeably, influenced by the Indian architecture, the temple is an attraction located on one of the main streets of the city.

On the foundational middle-square-shaped room stands a beautifully pointed dome. The intricate architectural style of the dome adorned with Muqarnas (a form of ornamented vaults in the Islamic architecture) distinguishes it from all the domes in the Persian Gulf and other domes throughout the country. The centerpiece room is encompassed by 4 corridors where the pilgrims would come through to worship. The corridors hold a series of small rooms for Brahma scholars; which are bedecked by religious paintings like that of Krishna. Others, each, represent part of Indians’ beliefs and Hinduism. The materials used contain rubble stones, fluffy mortar, mud, coral stones, plaster and gypsum.

When the Indians left Iran in 1965, they took out the idols in the temple. The building was damaged afterwards but the Cultural Heritage Organization of Iran committed to restore it sturdily in multiple tries.

Today, the nationally recorded heritage site in the southern Hormozgan Province is a draw for interested sightseers who appreciate the two country’s similar cultures.