Indians celebrate traditional new years in UAE

Indian expatriates across the United Arab Emirates (UAE) celebrated spring time harvest festivals and ushered in traditional new years, the media reported.

Keralites, the largest group among more than 3.3 million-strong Indian community in the UAE, celebrated Vishu on Monday, reports the Gulf News.

Dubai resident Anoop Nair, who has released a Vishu special song called "Mama Malayalam" (My Malayalam) on YouTube, said the Vishu celebration of Malayalees was incomplete without the 'sadhya', a sumptuous 26-item vegetarian feast served on banana leaf.

"Everyone wears new clothes and enjoys the sadhya. What we generally miss here are the crackers that we burst back home."

The Assamese New Year -- Rongali Bihu -- also fell on Monday. The small Assamese community in Dubai has planned a get-together on April 26 to celebrate the festival and make the younger generation aware about their traditions, said Aswini Borkotoky, who owns a car leasing company.

The Bengalis marked Poila Baisakh on Monday by observing many rituals. Anandita Kumar, a project manager in Dubai, said he was looking forward to a cultural celebration by her community group on Friday.

While people from Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana marked their new year called 'Ugadi' on April 6, Sikhs from Punjab celebrated 'Baisakhi' and Tamilians ushered in 'Puthandu' on April 14.

--IANS

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