Ganesh Chathurthi celebrations have begun across the Gulf, with NRIs bringing Ganesha idols from India. While most devotees immerse idols within three days, some communities in Dubai, Muscat and Bahrain celebrate with nine-day festivities featuring larger clay idols
Dubai: The festive vibes have arrived as preparations for Ganesh Chathurthi have picked up momentum across the Arabian Gulf region, home to a significant NRI community. Many NRI families, who travelled home for the summer vacation and have just started returning, are bringing Ganesha idols with them to celebrate the festival.
Celebrating Ganesh Chathurthi at home by many NRIs is simple yet deeply spiritual. Unlike in India, most devotees here immerse Ganesha within three days. Leading supermarkets in Dubai and Sharjah, known for selling traditional Indian items including pooja material, are brimming with devotees buying small idols, mostly made in China.
However, in selected places in Dubai, Muscat and Bahrain, the festival is celebrated for nine days with pomp and spirit, with larger clay idols imported from India.
“We are very enthusiastic about the Ganesh festival, and we imported a 5-foot-tall clay idol from Hyderabad,” said Kesari Triumurthulu, a social activist and entrepreneur in Dubai. “We have been celebrating Ganesh Chathurthi for the last four years.”
Triumurthulu’s organised Ganesh Chathurthi is said to have the largest idol and is celebrated for nine days among the Telugu community in the UAE.
The Sindhi community, known for celebrating Hindu festivals in Dubai, is among the foremost to host the event in their residential areas, where they welcome thousands of visitors daily and serve snacks and gifts.
In Saudi Arabia, the Telugu NRI community in the eastern province is at the forefront of the celebrations, while several labour camps in Bahrain also mark the festival with three-day celebrations.
