Dubai: It is that time of the year when rows of apartments in several Dubai streets light up for the Indian festival of lights, Diwali.
The Hindu festival that symbolises the victory of good over evil is traditionally celebrated over five days which are referred to as Dhanteras, Chhoti Diwali, Diwali, Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj.
Several Dubai homes have been ready with the Diwali glow days and weeks before the actual days of the festival. Shopping spree for Diwali gifts, sweets and décor have been on full swing and a large number of people rushed to buy gold on the auspicious occasion of Dhanteras which fell on Tuesday this time.
Some Indian schools in the UAE saw students and teachers celebrating the festival in colourful ethnic attire on Wednesday, the last working day before the four-day break they received for Diwali.
In the UAE, the festival goes global as non-Indians also join their Indian friends in the big Diwali bash.
Festive connection
British expat Ananda Shakespeare is one such person who enjoys the Diwali festivities in Dubai.
“It is fun celebrating Diwali here. I am lucky enough to be invited to Diwali celebrations,” said Ananda, founder and CEO of a PR firm.
She said the story of Diwali holds special significance to her, as her sister was named Sita.
According to the Hindu epic Ramayana, Diwali marks the day Lord Rama, his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana returned to their country Ayodhya after Rama defeated demon king Ravana and ended the trio’s 14 years in exile.
“I’m not certain why she was named Sita, but I believe my name was chosen by a guru,” she said, noting that her name also has Indian roots.
‘Dubaiwali’ Diwali is best
Vibrant ethnic attires, traditional diyas (lamps), LED lights and beautiful rangolis (colourful patterns decorating the floor) and delicious Indian sweets are integral parts of the Diwali celebrations.
Kamakshi Gupta, an HR professional, said she has experienced the best Diwali celebrations of her life since moving to Dubai five years ago. “When I was unmarried, I could not attend community celebrations back home in Rajasthan. After marriage, I initially lived in South Africa, where Diwali celebrations were rare. But everything changed when I came to Dubai. Here, it feels just like being in a part of India, with different community members celebrating together. I do a lot of shopping, and the variety of gold jewellery is amazing. In fact, I prefer staying in Dubai for Diwali rather than travelling home.”
As a resident of Skycourts Towers in Dubai Land Residence Complex, she said she loves the Diwali vibes in her community. “It’s like Bur Dubai or Mankhool. Most of the apartment balconies here are decorated with Diwali lights days and even weeks before the festival. I have many friends here, and we visit each other, exchange Diwali wishes, and enjoy fun activities like dancing and singing,” said the former dance teacher. She added that she started her Diwali preparations several days in advance, decorating her balcony and apartment with lamps and LED lights, creating rangoli, preparing snacks, and making arrangements for the pooja.
Diwali with employees
For banker Sachin Potey and his wife Vaishali, who runs a ladies’ salon, Diwali is a special occasion to celebrate with family and Vaisahli’s employees. “We love Diwali in Dubai as it is a home for us. We specially celebrate Diwali with our staff because they are family to us and this festival is all about spreading happiness and positivity. So we have decorated our house and office with lights, flowers and traditional torans (decorative door hanging) and diyas and special rangoli,” said Vasihali.
“We are from Maharashtra and we celebrate Diwali in our own traditional way for five days, with Abhangya snan, from Dhanteras to Bhai Dooj, wearing our traditional outfit, the Navari saree, and the nath (nose ring),” she added.
Sustainable Diwali
The family of Pradeep Deshpande, a business development director who has been in Dubai for over a decade, has tried their best to make this year’s Diwali décor more sustainable. Their home has turned into a beautiful display of lights by using homemade diyas, traditional oil lamps crafted at home, often from clay.
“We have also added a lovely handmade piece with a toran made from sustainable paper at our main door. We have decorated the interior with handmade flowers, garlands and wall hangings,” said his wife Prasadini Deshpande, who runs sustainable home décor and gifting company.
Their daughter Shivanee global talent acquisition lead at a FoodTech Company, said they wanted to make their Diwali “that brings joy to our home and honours the planet.”
Weekend celebration
Since the main day of Diwali this time falls on a working day, most of the family get-togethers, Diwali parties and community events are happening over the weekends.
Reema Mahajan, founder of Indian Women in Dubai (IWD), a popular online community with more than 100,000 followers on multiple platforms, said several members attended a Diwali party on Saturday.
“At IWD, we aim to celebrate India outside of India. It was an afternoon filled with games, quizzes, dressing in traditional indian clothes such as sarees and kurtas and enjoying Indian delicacies together.”
She said celebrating Diwali here in Dubai feels incredibly special. “The UAE truly embodies tolerance and harmony, opening its arms wide to all cultures and traditions. Being able to enjoy our vibrant festivities, from lights and rangolis to cultural dances and delicious food, demonstrates the country’s respect for diversity,” she added.
