Dubai: The Indian festival of lights is here and celebrations are in full swing.
From Emirates and marhaba making festive announcements and restaurants offering hard-to-resist meal deals to entertainment destinations like Bollywood Parks and Burj Park and shopping malls like BurJuman, City Centre Shindagha, Dubai Festival City and Reef Mall hosting special activities, it’s hard to miss the fervour. Indian expat homes in Bur Dubai and elsewhere are a riot of colour as they sport lights of all hues, even as Diwali parties abound and gold purchases peak ahead of the busy weekend.
Lending a touch of glamour to the glitter are also promos by Bollywood celebs like Katrina Kaif for Kalyan Jewellers, Kareena Kapoor Khan for Malabar Gold & Diamonds and Kajol for Joyalukkas, with many others including Jacqueline Fernandez, Vidya Balan and Kirti Sanan, gracing the city for one reason or the other. While the city’s jewellers long began to distribute their star-studded brochures in the hope of posting good sales on Dantheras, the first of the five-day festivities when Indian women traditionally buy gold, marhaba announced its special silver and family packages on October 11. It offered customers a 10 per cent discount on its Meet & Assist service between October 12 and 22.
The next day, Emirates announced that it would serve special Diwali delicacies (Motichoor ladoos) on all its flights to India from Dubai between October 16 and 22.
Majid Al Futtaim issued a dedicated “Guide to Diwali” at its City Centre Al Shindagha, with dazzling decorations and and high-energy live traditional Indian dance and activities for families between October 13 and 22. Visitors also stand a chance to win gold during this period.
Special attractions include the Bhangra dance ensemble that is taking to the mall walkways for 20-minute shows, six times daily. There’s also a display of Rangoli, a native art form in India from 4pm to 8pm every day. Women and children can also get their hands painted with creative henna art too.
The Rangoli art is being displayed in other malls like BurJuman as well. Till October 21, BurJuman’s main atrium is a hive of activity with pottery, diya decorations and henna painting. Closing out the 10-day celebration on October 19, 20 and 21, the mall will treat shoppers to traditional dance performances at 6pm and 8pm.
Dubai Festival City is also marking the Festival of Lights every evening (7pm) from October 18 to 22 with a special projection during the IMAGINE show on Festival Bay while Reef Mall is hosting pottery decoration activities for adults and kids till October 21.
There are loads of other Diwali entertainment options in the city, including a special daily fireworks show behind the Rajmahal Theatre at Bollywood Parks in Dubai Parks & Resorts between October 19 and 21, a ‘Diwali Dhamaka’ day out on the with Punjabi sensation Mika Singh at the same park on October 20, an audio launch of 2.0, superstar Rajinikanth’s latest film, at Burj Park on October 27, South African stand-up comedian Masood Boomgaard’s African Indian shows at the Junction Dubai on October 21, a Desi Fiesta at Media City Amphitheatre with a live concert from Armaan Malik on October 27 and so on. Popular stars Ali Zafar and Ayushmann Khurrana will also come together to perform live on stage at the MTV India Unplugged concert at Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium on October 27.
For residents, it’s a period packed with action. “My Diwali calander began last month itself. It’s a busy time for us. My turn to host a dinner is on October 27,” said a Bur Dubai resident Swathi.
“I love the spirit of this season. There are so many festive exhibitions, parties and events to attend. It’s a lot of fun. And at the end of it all, there is only one takeaway: the victory of good over evil and light over darkness,” said Vina, a Palm Jumeirah resident.
