The showstopper for the event was the evergreen, versatile singer Usha Uthup.
Dubai - The evening kicked off with a colourful Rangoli competition, followed by traditional Indian games like Aaty Paatya, Kho Kho, and Laghori, which were greatly enjoyed by the crowds.
Published: Sat 28 Oct 2017, 7:45 PM
Last updated: Sat 28 Oct 2017, 10:02 PM
It has been over a week since millions across the world celebrated Diwali, the festival of light and arguably the biggest Indian festival. But over 8,000 UAE residents marked it yet again with enthusiasm at the Diwali Utsav 2017, under the aegis of the Consulate General of India, Dubai.
The event was held at the Amity University grounds in Academic City on Friday and was organised by Friends of India (FOI) events.
The post-Diwali celebrations were based on the theme 'Unity in Diversity' and saw attendees throng the venue dressed in traditional Indian attire. Consul General of India Vipul, chief guest of the occasion, noted that unity in diversity is the basic foundation on which India is built. "It denotes oneness in variety and this is what India exemplifies, with the coexistence of people practicing different religions, speaking different languages and living harmoniously," Vipul said.
The evening kicked off with a colourful Rangoli competition, followed by traditional Indian games like Aaty Paatya, Kho Kho, and Laghori, which were greatly enjoyed by the crowds.
The event also had a fun fair section, with games such as shooting the balloon, ball in bucket, sixth sense, and an Indian history round, which attracted great audience participation.
The food section at the festival had stalls serving typical and popular Indian dishes from various parts of the country.
The folk dance competition saw 14 teams, out of which 10 provinces were in a competitive category vying for the Bharath ka Sitare prize. The dancers from Karnataka state were the winners and Andhra Pradesh took the runners-up position.
The showstopper for the event was the evergreen, versatile singer Usha Uthup, who sang in different Indian languages and entertained the crowds.
Rahul Srivastava, consul visa and commerce at the Indian Consulate, told Khaleej Times: "This is the 70th year of our Independence and we are celebrating this with a series of events as part of the India@70 initiative.
Indian residents in the UAE will attend 70 events to be held in various emirates during the next one year. Today's event is one of the seven mega events under the India@70 initiative."
Sending out a message of inspiration were Maha, who performed at the festival with her 20-year-old brother Zia and his friend Ashar, both hearing impaired and students of the Rashid Centre for Determined Ones. Speaking on behalf of the boys, Maha said: "Although they cannot hear or talk, they will dance on the occasion to send out a message of hope, love and brotherhood on the occasion of Diwali."
N Mohan, CSR activities in-charge with FOI, said: "We organised this event to unite all the Indian communities living in Dubai under one platform. Around 8,000 people are attending."
saman@khaleejtimes.com
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