DUBAI // They came in their hundreds, a long line of men and women carrying garlands of flowers as religious offerings.
On Sunday, for the third day in a row, the Hindu temple in Bur Dubai was packed.
Prakash Chhabra, a priest at the temple, said 25,000 people attended Diwali prayers on Friday.
“We’ve had many, many visitors,” Mr Chhabra said on Sunday. “We’re still expecting thousands more to come.”
The temple comprises two separate shrines, one dedicated to Shiva and one to Krishna.
They are joined by a narrow alleyway – just wide enough to put a hand on each wall with your arms outstretched – but at least three disorganised lines of people cram through it.
One line is heading towards the Shiva temple, another to the Krishna temple, and the third trying to buy religious ornaments, incense and other items from the shops that line the corridor on both sides.
Pujas, or ceremonies, are held throughout the day at the temples, but even when their inner doors are closed many hundreds still gather outside to prostrate themselves.
“It is a very special day for Hindus,” said Ashok Sharma, who lives in Abu Dhabi. “Today we just come to give thanks to our lord and pray for good luck through the year.”
He said Hindus did not have a religious duty to pray on Diwali day but doing so would bring benefits.
“Today is the most important day to visit the temple,” said Ganesh Iyer, who owns a nearby business.
“However, not everyone has a public holiday today, so many people came at the weekend. That’s why there were more people on Friday and Saturday than there are today.”
The evening puja, which has the most significance on Diwali day, was held a little later than normal yesterday because of a solar eclipse.
Although Dubai only caught the tail end of the eclipse, the temple was closed until 8pm, when the astral event ended.
Mr Chhabra said the belief was that prayers said during the eclipse would have the opposite effect.
The evening celebration involves lighting lamps in every home to welcome the goddess Lakshmi, and it is for this reason that Diwali is known as the “festival of lights”.
It is a five-day festival starting with Dhanteras, which was on Friday this year. It is considered auspicious to buy gold and jewellery on that day.
A shop assistant in Sky Jewellery, in Meena Bazaar, said sales were high on Friday. The price of gold has dropped this year, about Dh10 a gram cheaper than last year.
“There were a lot of things that made sales so high this Dhanteras,” said the sales assistant.
“For one, it was on a Friday when everyone is off. It was also at the start of the month after everyone had gotten paid.
“In addition the price of gold is less expensive this year. Altogether it made our sales very high.”
Sanjay Patel, who lives in Sharjah, said he would spend the rest of the week visiting friends and family.
“This is the time of year where we all meet up,” Mr Patel said. “It’s a time for families, where we put on our best clothes and light as many lights as we can.”
mcroucher@thenational.ae
'Unrivaled: Why America Will Remain the World’s Sole Superpower'
Michael Beckley, Cornell Press
If you go
The Flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Johannesburg from Dubai and Abu Dhabi respectively. Economy return tickets cost from Dh2,650, including taxes.
The trip
Worldwide Motorhoming Holidays (worldwidemotorhomingholidays.co.uk) operates fly-drive motorhome holidays in eight destinations, including South Africa. Its 14-day Kruger and the Battlefields itinerary starts from Dh17,500, including campgrounds, excursions, unit hire and flights. Bobo Campers has a range of RVs for hire, including the 4-berth Discoverer 4 from Dh600 per day.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg result:
Ajax 2-3 Tottenham
Tottenham advance on away goals rule after tie ends 3-3 on aggregate
Final: June 1, Madrid
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Eco%20Way%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20December%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ivan%20Kroshnyi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Electric%20vehicles%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Bootstrapped%20with%20undisclosed%20funding.%20Looking%20to%20raise%20funds%20from%20outside%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Match info
Karnataka Tuskers 110-3
J Charles 35, M Pretorius 1-19, Z Khan 0-16
Deccan Gladiators 111-5 in 8.3 overs
K Pollard 45*, S Zadran 2-18
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3ECompany%20name%3A%20EduPloyment%3Cbr%3EDate%20started%3A%20March%202020%3Cbr%3ECo-Founders%3A%20Mazen%20Omair%20and%20Rana%20Batterjee%3Cbr%3EBase%3A%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20Recruitment%3Cbr%3ESize%3A%2030%20employees%3Cbr%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20Pre-Seed%3Cbr%3EInvestors%3A%20Angel%20investors%20(investment%20amount%20undisclosed)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
The Cockroach
(Vintage)
Ian McEwan
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Chinese Grand Prix schedule (in UAE time)
Friday: First practice - 6am; Second practice - 10am
Saturday: Final practice - 7am; Qualifying - 10am
Sunday: Chinese Grand Prix - 10.10am
