Pictures: Rajan Vadakkemuriyil / The Peninsula
Doha, Qatar: For many South Asian expats in the country, yesterday marked the beginning of the week-long festival of lights Diwali that falls on October 31-November 1 this year. It was also the day when those observing this festival believe that buying gold or silver is considered auspicious, which explains the rush that jewellery shops in Qatar witnessed.
The festivities begin with Dhanteras on October 29, while the main celebrations happen on October 31, 2024.
Indian expat living in Qatar for past 10 years Divya Sreekumar said that Diwali this year has come at a time when the kids are having a break from school. "Me and my kids made some simple sweets at home and are planning to make rangoli patterns outside our house," says Divya adding that she misses her celebrations back home where they are grander and larger in scale.
The whole family comes together to celebrate with many different rituals depending on which part of India they come from.
Jewellery shops in Qatar like Malabar Gold and Diamonds and Joyalukkas saw a rush across their branches as they ramped up their festive season offers for families who head out to buy a token of gold and silver during this festive season.
Another Indian expat hailing from Maharashtra Priti N said that she opts to buy gold during Diwali every year and usually heads to one of these stores for the same. "The gold rates are a deterrent but for us it is also a safe haven to invest in and we choose to buy during this time as it is a symbol of good luck for us," She added that usually heads to Malabar Gold and Joyalukkas as they have good offers during festive season.
Another expat Palak Atish Ghael hails from Gujarat, the western part of India, said that for us celebration began on October 28 which is the Ekadashi.
"We light lamps in our house and then on Dhanteras, we worship Dhan, which translates to gold and silver. Then comes the Laxmi Puja, when we light all the lamps in our house, believing that it will bring good luck," Palak says, adding that on Saturday the family will celebrate New Year, which is another big celebration.
