For added convenience over the winter period, a number of offsite check-in and bag-drop facilities are available, Etihad Airways said
travel2 hours ago
For the second year in a row, Indian expatriates observed muted Holi celebrations on Sunday.
Usually, the famous Indian spring festival is a community affair, where people would come together to play with colours and enjoy traditional food. However, due to the pandemic, celebrations have primarily become an intimate, family-only affair — but still, the spirit of the festival remained just as vibrant.
Residents chose to celebrate with their closest friends and family members while being mindful of social distancing norms. Madhulika Chatterjee, an Indian expatriate and a Dubai-based freelancer, said, “It has been a year of no festivities. We haven’t been going out either, except for when it is necessary. So, the Holi festivities, even though they were muted, were a pleasant experience.”
She said her family and friends were mindful of the Covid-19 regulations, and even throwing colours were limited to a brief moment. “We sat apart from each other and enjoyed traditional food and beverages and played with colours for a while,” she added.
Priya Awatramani, a resident of Arabian Ranches, said, “We kept the number of people attending well under 10 people, and we arranged everything in the backyard of our home. Except when we’re taking pictures, we had our masks on all the time.”
Awatramani also ensured that all attendees had received jabs. “We had a two-metre distance maintained between the guests as well,” she added.
Moitri Maiti, who works in the education sector, said, “For a year, the pandemic has been making us feel very low. We took this opportunity to infuse some positivity and good cheer to our lives while being mindful of the UAE’s Covid-19 rules and regulations.”
Gopal Kokani, the Guru Darbar Sindhi Temple’s general manager in Bur Dubai, told Khaleej Times that the temple management decided to avoid Holi celebrations this year due to Covid-19.
“We’re doing absolutely nothing. We’ve not had the practice of celebrating Holi since the very beginning, irrespective of the viral outbreak. Celebrations don’t take place in the Shiva or the Krishna temples (Hindu deities),” said Kokani.
There were no celebrations at the Shrinathji (Krishna) Temple, too.
“Even in India, especially in cities such as Mumbai, where Holi celebrations are a grand affair, a lockdown is in place. We must respect the laws of the land and ensure that rules are strictly followed,” Kokani added.
dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com
For added convenience over the winter period, a number of offsite check-in and bag-drop facilities are available, Etihad Airways said
travel2 hours ago
Japan and the US aim to compile a joint military plan for a possible Taiwan emergency that includes deploying missiles, says report
europe3 hours ago
Dr Maryam Fatma Matar was speaking at the Future of Healthcare conference organised by
uae3 hours ago
The latest violence began last Thursday when two separate convoys of Shias travelling under police escort were ambushed, killing at least 43
asia3 hours ago
This gives youngsters the opportunity to develop in the environment of a leading UAE professional club
football3 hours ago
Based on the unchanged price range for the sale of its shares of Dh1.50 to Dh1.60, the revised IPO size is expected to rake range between Dh7 billion and Dh7.5 billion
markets3 hours ago
Gold fell to its lowest since Nov. 18 on Tuesday
markets3 hours ago
Deyaar CEO expects market will continue to thrive as developer launches Dh1.5 billion project
realty3 hours ago