Diwali in UAE: Indian expats celebrate festival of lights at Abu Dhabi's Baps temple

UAE leaders post messages of hope and peace to mark the celebrations

Baps Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi is decked out with traditional oil lamps and candles to celebrate the Indian festival of lights Diwali, or Deepawali, for the first time since it opened in February.

Inside the temple, the floors are adorned with traditional rangoli designs made with coloured powder, believed to bring luck and positivity.

Visitors to the temple during Diwali will be given a special prasad – food prepared for devotees after they offer their prayers, said Pranav Desai, director of Baps Hindu Mandir. “On a regular day, visitors get khichdi (made of rice and lentils) as prasad, but today, they will get a sweet called ladudi (made with gram flour).”

Over the weekend, the temple will also celebrate Annakut, the festival of food, to “mark the new year as per the Hindu calendar”, Mr Desai said, with hundreds of volunteers from different communities expected to help with the preparations. “In Annakut, we will be offering thousands of vegetarian dishes divided into smaller boxes and given to visitors as well as blue-collar workers staying in the area.”

Deep Ajmani, who is holidaying in the UAE from the US state of Kentucky, said visiting the temple “took us back to our roots in India”. Dubai resident Shruti Gupta chose Diwali to visit the temple for the first time, calling it “the best day”.

The Hindu temple in Dubai’s Jebel Ali is also gearing up to welcome about 20,000 people every day over the Diwali weekend. “We have heightened security, more traffic management arrangements and volunteers,” said Raju Shroff, trustee of the Hindu temple that was constructed two years ago.

“There will be pujas [prayers] starting from 6am. This is a great celebration of a festival where people will start their new year with blessings.” N Mohan, the temple’s general manager, said the site had drawn more than 2.5 million visits since it opened in August 2022.

Workshops that taught children to make diyas or earthen tea lights and colourful paper Diwali decorations were organised by volunteers. “People feel the energy when they enter the temple and it is a place they also find peace,” he said.

“When they pray here for Diwali it is also a time to give thanks for blessings they have received when they overcome personal challenges whether in their jobs or with their family.”

Transcending boundaries

The UAE’s multicultural setting adds an extra element for those celebrating Diwali, which symbolises the triumph of good over evil and light over darkness.

“Celebrating Diwali in Dubai is a unique experience,” said Sachin Gautam, who moved from the Indian city of Jaipur to the UAE in 2014. “While we get to follow our traditions with our Indian friends, we also get to share our culture with people from around the world.”

The Emirates adds a “beautiful, cross-cultural” touch to the celebrations, said Urbasi Chowdhury, a civil engineer turned e-commerce professional living in Dubai. She said her colleagues from Italy and Spain happily don Indian traditional outfits and enjoy Indian sweets and samosas.

Leading by example, the UAE rulers also extended Diwali wishes to the Indian community with special messages on social media.

“May the year ahead bring peace, health and happiness to you and your families,” wrote President Sheikh Mohamed.

Meanwhile, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, wished for “joy, peace and safety” to those celebrating in the UAE and around the world. “Let the light in your hearts guide you toward harmony, compassion, and shared understanding. Happy Diwali!”

Home from home

For the Chowdhurys and Gautams, the UAE has become their home from home and a perfect backdrop for Diwali.

Originally from Mumbai, Ms Chowdhury has lived in Dubai for nearly five years with her husband and seven-year-old daughter, Aadore. “We decorate our home, cook our traditional food and invite friends over,” Ms Chowdhury said. “You get everything you need here, from diyas (clay lamps) and sweets to rangoli powder.”

While she does miss having her close family members nearby, she believes Diwali is “less about the rituals and more about celebrating life”.

Living in Dubai Marina, the Gautams follow the traditions of deep-cleaning the house, buying new utensils to mark Dhanteras (the first day of the festival), and then lighting diyas in the evenings. “Diwali brings back so many childhood memories for us,” Praghya Gautam said. “We decorate the house, make sweets, and create elaborate rangolis with coloured sand, flowers, and even turmeric – the way our parents did back home.”

“Honestly, I don’t feel a difference between celebrating Diwali here and back home, except for missing family.” She said the UAE offers everything they need, from puja items to festive food. “It feels like home here,” she added. “Especially when we’re surrounded by friends who become like family.”

For their nine-year-old daughter, Sara, the Gautams have provided a chart depicting the good deeds of the Hindu god Ram, to instil positive values in her. “We want to teach her the essence of Diwali beyond rituals,” Mr Gautam explained.