Ketki Kohli | Punjabi, Numerologist
"Holi is a festival filled with fun, colours, and good food. This time, it is even more special for me as my brother recently got married, and the entire family is together. My kids eagerly look forward to playful splashes of colour, and this year, all the elders in the family will join, too. For us, the significance of this festival is coming together and celebrating as a family. We also specially prepare a sweet dish on Holi called gulgule, made with sweetened wheat flour, deep fried, and relished by everyone.”
Anita Maheshkumar | Sindhi, Homemaker
"Holi is a two-day spring festival. On the first day, we perform the Holika Dahan ritual, where our friends and family gather around a bonfire and pray together. The next day is spent playing with colours, symbolising the divine love and happiness between Lord Krishna and Radha. We celebrate this festival with family and friends, sharing the beautiful colours of love, happiness, joy, music, dance and lots of yummy food and sweets. My favourite is a sweet called gheear, a bigger and I feel better version of the traditional Indian jalebi.”
Dipak Bhadra | Gujarati, Alignment Coach, Author
"During my childhood in the 1970s, in Bhuj, Kutch, India, I played with natural colours, across a day filled with laughter and fun. It was difficult for family members to recognise me, as after all that play my friends and I would be muticoloured from head to toe. Here in Dubai, the celebrations continue with friends and family. We visit India Club for the bonfire ritual that signifies burning away negativity and impurities. The next day, we plan to play with colours with family and friends, relishing the delicious homemade delicacies made for this occasion, such as puran poli, mathri and dahi vada.”
Clive Gopinath | Tamilian, Senior Manager at an insurance company
"Even though we are South Indians, celebrating Holi in a multicultural city like Dubai has always been a significant occasion for us. We spend the day playing with colours, singing, dancing, and feasting with our friends and family. The festival of Holi teaches us to celebrate life, love, and joy, embrace diversity and inclusivity, and forgive and forget past grievances to build a better future based on unity and love.”
Namita Deshpande-Thakkar | Maharashtrian, PR Profesional
"Holi is celebrated to commemorate the victory of good over evil and the triumph of devotion over one’s ego and pride. We light bonfires on the eve of Holi to symbolise the burning of Holika and the victory of good over evil. However, since we are out of India now, we will visit the temple for the bonfire ritual. Puran poli — a traditional Marathi jaggery stuffed flatbread is prepared specially for Holi in every Marathi household. The day is spent relishing sweets and indulging in fun activities by splashing colours on each other. This year, I’m also looking forward to a colourful Holi with friends and family and indulging in guilt-free puran polis!”
Meghna Jayanth | Gujarati, Homemaker
"Holi is a celebration of love, peace, colours, the triumph of good over evil, and a festival where communities from different backgrounds and beliefs get together to celebrate the start of spring and in anticipation of a bumper harvest, which eventually feeds the entire world. I’ve been celebrating Holi since my childhood. This year our festival will be celebrated with friends and family applying bright colours to each other, having delicacies like gujiyas, mathri, and chaat, listening to music, dancing, and having fun with loved ones. It’s a big reminder to forget past grievances and start afresh.”
