Dubai: The tenth day of Durga Puja or Dashami was celebrated as Dusshera by Indian expats in the UAE today.
A socio-cultural festival. Dusshera signifies the victory of good over evil.
In the UAE, the Indian diaspora marked this Dussehra in a muted way, while they engaged in community traditions while maintaining social distance and other COVID-19 protocols.
One of the rituals involves bidding farewell to the deity Durga, which is a big ceremony for the Bengali community. Several places in Dubai and other emirates organised the nine-day Durga Puja, which culminated in Dashami.
Married woman of Bengal follow a the colourful tradition of Sindhur Khela which marks the return of deity Durga to her home. Women take the sindhur as a blessing from the deity and smear each other with the vermilion mark.
According to Dr Aniriudh Lahiri, who heads the culturally diverse group Amro Probashi that has organised a Durga Puja Pandal in Dubai, “This festival symbolises socio-cultural integration. Though low key this year, we had over a 100 families visiting the Puja every day. On Dusshera, women participate in the Sindhur Khela and bid a loving farewell to the deity. We have taken all precautions to observe social distancing, wearing of masks and so on. We are trying to uphold traditions even while following COVID-19 protocols.”
