UAE | General
Indians celebrate festival of colour
Expatriates from Dubai and northern emirates organise Holi functions over the weekend
- Staff Report
- Published: 00:00 March 5, 2010
- Image Credit: Arshad Ali/Gulf News
- Creek Park in Dubai was drenched in a rainbow of colours as Indian expatriates commenced the celebrations of the spring festival of Holi on Thursday.
Dubai: A small section of the Creek Park was drenched in a rainbow of colours yesterday as Indian expatriates commenced the celebrations of the spring festival of Holi.
Organised by the Indian Association in Dubai, the festival is celebrated by Indians around the world. Celebrations include throwing coloured powder on each other, distributing sweets and dancing to Bollywood numbers and traditional Holi songs.
Indian expatriates in Dubai and Northern emirates turned out in large numbers with a majority of them dressed in the traditional white attire.
The festival has a especial place among children who throw water-filled balloons on family and friends. They also get to enjoy mouth watering Holi specialities like gujiya, malpuas, mathri, puran poli, and dahi vadas — all Indian sweets.
Nitin Joshi, a Dubai resident, said: "The festival of Holi falls in the month of February or early March during the Hindu month of Phalgun when nature blooms in all its glory. There are various other mythological stories connected to Holi as well."
Joshi makes sure he and his family make time to celebrate the festival every year. "I want my children to understand what Holi stands for and the how to live up to its spirit," he added.
Ayushi Solankar, a Sharjah resident, plans to attend two Holi celebrations this weekend along with her friends. "In India, Holi was celebrated earlier this week, but it being a working day here, the festival is being celebrated on weekends.
"But it is fine as long as we get to enjoy the festival. Among all the Indian festivals I love Holi and Deepavali [festival of lights]."
Solankar hails from Mumbai.
"The celebration out there is just awesome. On various streets in Mumbai we have a group of boys organising the dahi handi, where a pot full of buttermilk is hung high up in the streets. A group of boys form a human pyramid and one of them climbs to the top and breaks the handi.
"It is so much fun. I miss my parents and sisters, but I am glad that I have a lot of friends," she said.
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