The one thing that marks the beginning of Diwali festivities every year is my mom’s question, “Have you started Diwali shopping?”
Diwali is an entrancing festival that blends a vivid range of colours and light to create a dreamy atmosphere. It holds a special place in my heart as it symbolizes the idea that no matter how dark life may seem, there will be light soon. It is the celebration of the triumph of good over evil.
The festive mood sets in when we see the magic of Diwali taking over Dubai. The preparation for Diwali in Dubai kicks off with our visits to the Diwali Mela in various malls. The stalls showcase an array of exquisitely designed traditional wear, finely crafted jewellery, handmade diyas in a plethora of colours and an assortment of eclectic home décor. The vast collection leaves us spoiled for choice and we end up buying a lot of things that suit our taste. I can’t resist the allure of Diwali shopping!
Mehendi is an important part of my Diwali celebration. I always create intricate designs on my hands using mehendi. It is exciting to wait and see whether it comes out in a nice and vibrant colour. My mind can never accept the shade to be too light or too dark. The design and the colour of the mehendi together make it ravishing. During my school days, there used to be a huge competition amongst friends as to who had the perfect mehendi.
Diwali, like all Indian festivals, is a delight for the sweet tooth. The task of finalizing the sweets to make for Diwali is our son’s responsibility every year. He makes sure to include a new sweet from YouTube every time. Our foodie son chose milk burfi this year and it turned out to be a yummy treat. The burfi had a melt-in-the-mouth texture and a rich flavour of saffron and ghee that left us craving for more. Gulab jamuns are irresistible; the small, sweet balls vanish as we devour them. Of course, there are some interesting failure stories about my culinary adventures which I will share in a separate blog.
The radiant rangoli with dazzling diyas to welcome Goddess Lakshmi is yet another exciting feature of Diwali. I enjoy creating my own designs with various colours.
We spend the rest of the day visiting friends and attending Diwali parties. No Diwali celebration is complete without driving through areas with a majority of the Indian community, to see the Diwali décor on their balconies. We see that the walls are adorned with beautiful rows of diyas while fireworks light up the sky.
One important tradition we have during Diwali is taking a family photo in our Diwali attire to send to our loved ones in India. Even though we miss being with our family, it is a common thing for Non-Resident Indians. Dubai has been so welcoming and we do enjoy celebrating Indian festivals here. Diwali in Dubai is celebrated with the same enthusiasm as in India. Diwali never fails to create lasting memories.
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