Dubai: Indian expatriates across the UAE are celebrating the nine-day Navratri festival by participating in traditional dances and worshipping Hindu goddess Durga.
Dance evenings are being organised by various clubs and associations across the country to celebrate the festival, the Gulf News reports.
“This time we have performances from Sa Re Ga Ma Pa stars, which is a big draw for people," Zee TV and the Indian Association Dubai's Dandiya fest organiser David Johnson said.
"I have not missed a single garba [a form of dance] in the last 14 years. We dance for several hours all the days; it is a great time to bond with friends too," said Pooja Soni, an Indian who has been living in Dubai for 14 years.
“We have a group of friends now and the celebrations in Dubai are not any less than what we have back home in Gujarat," she added.
During the nine-day festival, many Hindus undergo a fast, and the festival ends on the tenth day of Vijayadashmi or Dussehra, which marks the victory of good over evil.
People also wear colourful costumes and perform ‘dandiya raas'' (a folk dance) during the festival.
ANI
First Published: Sunday, October 02, 2011, 13:01