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IDHAR UDHAR
Fasting & Feasting
The UAE is home to 1.2 million Indians. Fasting
and feasting took on a special meaning during
the holy month of Ramadan as Muslims as
well as non-Muslims got together in a renewed
bond of friendship and goodwill. There were
Iftar and Suhoor parties galore. The Indian
community in the UAE celebrated in style with
a special Suhoor dinner at the India Club. An
a la carte dinner with sumptuous food was laid
out for the benefit of more than 350 members
of the community.
The Indian Consul General, Venu Rajamony
graced the occasion. Sunil Singh, Chairman,
India Club welcomed the Chief Guest and the members of the India Club and their
guests. He also extended Ramadan greetings to all present for the Suhoor dinner.
The special attractions included an Arabic tent with a lady henna designer where the female
invitees adorned their hands with beautiful henna designs. An Arabic juice server served mint
lime juice. The traditional Arabic Oudh musician played Arabic music adding melodious
tunes to the celebratory mood of the evening.
Lighting of the inaugural lamp at Navratri celebrations at India Club
by: Debasree S.
Navratri Dhamaka
The UAE, is a melting pot of different religions and cultures,
and after Ramadan, it was the turn of Indians to celebrate
their most popular festival Navratri. Nav means Nine and
Ratri means Night, the Navratri festival lasts for nine nights
culminating in Dusshera that signals that triumph of good
over evil.
During this time, Indian expatriates made a beeline for Meena
Bazaar (Bur Dubai’s very own Indian bazaar) to stock on ghagra
cholis, bandhani dupattas and the rest of the traditional fare. The Al
Aweer grounds came alive to the beat of colourful ‘Garba’ dances.
The programme organized by
the Indian Association Dubai
got together more than 2,000
expatriates whose gaiety and
enthusiasm remained a highlight
of this year’s celebrations.
Onam
For Keralites, Onam is the
celebration of the return of
Mahabali, their beloved king. To
welcome king Mahabali to their home people
decorate their front porch with a “Pookalam”
or a floral carpet. This is similar to a rangoli
except that this is made up of creatively
arranged flower petals. Small mounds
of earth are also placed in the courtyard
representing Mahabali and Vishnu. A fair bit
of rituals are performed and this is followed
by a sumptuous feast called ‘Saddya’,which
is served on a plantain leaf and accompanied
with ‘Payasam’ the main sweet dish.
In the UAE, there were a spate of
celebrations marking Onam. Perhaps the
most striking among them all was the
one organized by the All Kerala Colleges
Alumni Forum held at the Al Quoz
Dulsco Auditorium.
This was an Onam celebration that got
together both under privileged labourers and the Indian Consul General,
Venu Rajamony, all on the same platform. The Indian Consul General
lighted the inaugural lamp and the function was attended by the Indian
Committee Welfare Committee Chief K.Kumar, IITF Secretary K.M.
Abbas, R.D. Group GM G. Vinod and families of AKCAF members.
Musical and dance programmes regaled the audience, many of
whom had taken a break from their daily hard regimen. Playback singer
M. Jayachandran led the musical programme and he was supported by
his troupe consisting of Sudip Kumar, Radhika and Anupama. Cultural
programmes were presented by Faisal, Shafique and other artistes.
Garba dance in full swing during the Navrati festival in Dubai
Onam celebrations gets underway at Dubai’s Dulsco Auditorium
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ANNI V ERSARY
New Block for
Sharjah Indian School
The 30-year-old Sharjah
Indian School owned and
managed by the Indian
Association Sharjah got a new
facelift with the Indian Consul
General, Venu Rajamony laying
the foundation stone for a new
block. Among those who were
present on the occasion were
IAS President V. Damodaran,
IAS General Secretary,
Abdullah Mallachery, Managing
Committee Member Mohammed
Theyyab, Acting General
Secretary Chandraparakash
Edamma and the Acting Vice
Principal of the School, Mini
Menon. The school is a nonprofit
institution with a low
fee structure meant to benefit
the less affluent sections of the
Indian community.
Debasree S. is a freelance writer
based in Dubai
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