From Dhanteras gold shopping in Bur Dubai to intimate diya-lighting at home, Indian families across the UAE celebrate Diwali weekend.
Indian families across the UAE are gearing up for a weekend of Diwali celebrations, with many households marking the Festival of Lights on Saturday and Sunday. The festivities began on Friday with Dhanteras, an auspicious occasion traditionally associated with buying gold, silver and new utensils.
For Dubai teacher Gagan Deep Dhanjal, Dhanteras meant a visit to Bur Dubai.
“We went around 5.30pm to buy gold because it is auspicious to do so on Dhanteras,” she said. “Some jewellery shops were very crowded. The parking lots in Meena Bazaar were all full.”
To avoid the rush, she had placed an order for a small, custom-made pendant well in advance.
“We had just gone to pick it up. Thankfully, we managed to get back in about one and a half hours, skipping a lot of the crowd.”
Her daughter, Janisha, is pleased that the festival falls on a weekend this year.
“It’s giving all of us the chance to spend time together as a family,” she said.
The family plans to visit the Gurudwara during the day for Bandi Chhor Diwas, the Sikh festival that coincides with Diwali, before returning home to light lamps.
They have also adjusted their hosting plans to keep the weekend free for family time.
“Instead of hosting people at our house on Diwali weekend, we planned our hosting last weekend so we could all be together this weekend,” Janisha said. “We are planning to spend Diwali evening lighting lamps, playing indoor games and just having a relaxing evening.”
Silver instead of gold
Indian expatriate Arijit Nandi took the day off to prepare for the celebrations. With gold prices remaining high, the Dubai resident opted for a silver coin instead of jewellery.
“We buy one every year as part of the ritual, as it symbolises wealth and prosperity,” he said.
The family then turned its attention to decorating their home. His son had been looking forward to seeing the house illuminated like others in their neighbourhood, prompting them to buy string lights on Friday.
“My son has been insisting that we get ours up as soon as possible,” Arijit said.
The weekend will also include visits to friends’ homes, with gatherings planned across the community.
“We visit each other’s homes dressed in festive clothes, carrying sweets and gifts. It is a lovely way to celebrate together,” he said.
On Sunday, the family will focus on traditional Diwali preparations. His wife and son will make a rangoli — a colourful floor design created using coloured powders or flower petals — at the entrance. A toran, a decorative hanging made of flowers or leaves, will adorn the doorway.
In the evening, the family will light earthen lamps and candles in their backyard and welcome neighbours who stop by to exchange festive greetings.
Finding light in hard times
For Dubai-based author Rucha Daryani, Diwali holds a more personal significance. Her children’s picture book, The Light Never Left, draws inspiration from her family’s experience following her stroke and subsequent recovery.
“Diwali for us started today and carries on until Sunday,” she said. “On the day itself we do puja, the house is lit with diyas, everyone dresses up, and the kids eat all the food they love. We have a lot of family in Dubai, so we spend the days visiting them with sweets and chocolates.”
Some family traditions have evolved since her illness.
“Before I became unwell, I used to do rangoli with the kids. Now they do it themselves. My daughter does hers on her own, and my son does his with my husband.”
The family also makes a point of sharing Diwali with friends from different backgrounds.
“The kids share their Diwali with them, dress up, and show them how we celebrate, and their friends absolutely love it,” she said. “The kids also take small presents for all their friends, usually a chocolate and a candle.”
Although the book was not originally conceived as a Diwali story, Daryani believes its message resonates with the festival’s themes of hope and light.
“The book is about a family finding hope in a very hard time and how the light is there if we look for it,” she said. “It is okay to be scared in the dark, and you just take one step at a time. Diwali has always been about hope and light over darkness, so it feels like a natural fit.”
She hopes families will read the book together or share it with someone facing a difficult period.
“Diwali and Christmas can be hard for families who are not able to celebrate the way they want to,” she said. “That was true for us two years ago, and what I learned is that you find your own way of celebrating around the darkness.”
