Photo: Vitaliy Lyubezhanin
Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights, officially begins on Wednesday. The holiday, which is observed during the holiest month of the Hindu lunar calendar, is celebrated in a number of different ways: Families fill their homes with candles and oil lamps, light fireworks, wrap fairy lights around trees, wear their best traditional ensembles, offer prayers, decorate their hands with henna, and exchange sweets and gifts with their loved ones. In the UAE, there is a lot happening — from concerts to art installations — to help celebrate the holiday. Below, we round up five different ways to mark Diwali in the region.
Enjoy live concerts
For an evening of catchy tunes, round up your close friends and family and head to Dubai’s Bollywood Parks for live performances by singers Shankar Ehsaan Loy on Friday and Neeraj Shridhar on Saturday. Meanwhile, over in Global Village, Bollywood singers Neha Kakkar and Ankit Tiwari will be hitting the stage. Those who prefer something more relaxed can opt to watch a movie instead. On November 9, the Rajmahal Theatre will be screening Veere Di Wedding followed by Bareilly Ki Barfi the next day.
Catch fireworks
The Dubai Creek is set to host the UAE’s first-ever official display of Diwali lamp lighting for families on November 7 at 8.30pm, which will be followed by a colorful fireworks show. Those observing can also enjoy a special fireworks display at Global Village, Dubai’s six-month long shopping and entertainment hub, on Thursday and Friday in celebration of Diwali.
Take in some art
Art lovers don’t want to miss the floating installation at Dubai Mall‘s waterfront promenade. Entitled “Voyage”, the artwork features 300 illuminated boats that will change colors to artfully light up the water. Guests can interact with the installation by connecting to its Wi-Fi and choosing the patterns and colors themselves.
Attempt to break a Guinness World Record
Did you really celebrate Diwali in the UAE if you didn’t break a world record? On Saturday at 5pm you can join an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for “the most number of people lighting LED lights in a relay” at the heritage stage of Al Seef Dhow Deck. Good luck!
Eat, obviously
Food plays a very important role in the Festival of Lights, and calls for a number of traditional dishes. Foodies can head to the Diwali Mela fair, a themed bazaar that will be offering the key foods eaten during the celebrations, including mithai, chivda, lapsi halwa, and aloo tikki. For something more intimate, the Ritz-Carlton in DIFC has invited chef Altamash Iqbal to put together a special Diwali menu featuring meals such as murgh dum biryani or a vegetarian palak ki shammi dish. Meanwhile, those who prefer to stay in and celebrate at home will be pleased to know that food delivery app Talabat is offering 50% off a number of Indian restaurants, including India Palace Restaurant, The Yellow Chili, and Sagar Ratna from November 7 to 14.
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