A 134‑year‑old Hindu temple in southern Iran has suddenly captured global attention after Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan shared a video of the site on social media. Within 24 hours, the clip of the Vishnu Temple in Bandar Abbas, Hormozgan Province, had racked up more than 700,000 views and 30,000 likes, sparking fresh interest in a little‑known chapter of Indo‑Iranian history.
Built in 1892 during the Qajar era, the temple was constructed for Hindu traders from India working in the port city, a hub on the Strait of Hormuz. Historical accounts suggest the project began in 1888 with permission from local rulers, taking four years to complete. The temple became a focal point for the Hindu community, reflecting a period of peaceful coexistence between Indians and Iranians.
Today, the building is registered as a national historic monument. Locals often refer to it as “Gooran,” a name linked to how Hindus were once described in the region. Architecturally, the temple blends Iranian and Indian influences: a central square chamber topped with an onion‑shaped dome engraved with lotus motifs, built from coral stone, mud and lime. Corridors lead to small chambers for priests, while a spiral staircase climbs to the rooftop, designed to flood the sanctum with natural light.
Inside, remnants of its spiritual past remain. Statues of Lord Vishnu, Buddha, and paintings of Krishna and Radha survive, though many artworks were damaged after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, when most Indian residents left Iran. An adjoining room now serves as a small museum, housing artefacts including a statue of Lord Shiva as Nataraja.
The temple’s sudden online fame has highlighted the fragile state of its heritage. Many of the surviving statues and paintings are in need of restoration, while the site itself has long been overlooked in Iran’s broader cultural narrative.
Bandar Abbas is not alone in preserving traces of Hindu presence. Another temple, linked to the Arya Samaj movement, stands in Zahedan, capital of Sistan and Baluchestan Province. Together, these sites testify to the enduring, if often forgotten, cultural exchanges between India and Iran.
For Iranians and Indians alike, the viral video has reignited curiosity about a shared past. As Bachchan’s post circulates worldwide, the Vishnu Temple of Bandar Abbas is being rediscovered not just as a relic of history, but as a symbol of cross‑cultural ties that once flourished along one of the world’s most strategic maritime routes.
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