Abudhabi:BAPS Hindu Mandir will be hosting Diwali and Hindu New Year’s celebrations on Friday, 1 November 2019, from 10:30 am to 8:00 pm, on the site of the upcoming Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi. Open to one and all, the celebrations are an opportunity for the all guests to appreciate Hindu traditions and culture. Visitors will enjoy an exhibition commemorating the UAE’s ‘Year of Tolerance’, along with a variety of different cultural programmes, including devotional songs performed by prominent Indian communities. 
A ‘Diwali Mela’, or fun fair, has been organized for children, where they will be able to play games and participate in activities that will teach them the significance of the festival. A blood camp has been organized in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Blood Bank, in keeping with the Diwali and Hindu New Year’s sentiments of giving thanks and expressing gratitude.
Diwali is referred to as the ‘Festival of Light’, celebrating the triumph of good over evil, enlightenment over ignorance and tolerance over prejudice. The day following Diwali marks the Hindu New Year, which is traditionally celebrated with annakut (‘a mountain of food’), in which hundreds of homemade vegetarian dishes will be offered to God in an elaborate, decorative display. The Hindu New Year is a time of reflection, renewal and resolution.
Last year’s celebration saw more than 10,000 UAE residents attend and enjoy the annakut offering which included a model of the Burj Khalifa made from spaghetti and the Dubai Frame made out of biscuits and candy. This year, visitors should keep a look out for models of the Burj Al Arab, Atlantis Hotel, the Aldar building, the upcoming BAPS Hindu Mandir, and other UAE landmarks.

Various dignitaries and government officials are expected to grace the event along with prominent local religious leaders and other leading community members.
Visitors can get further details and register their interest on www.mandir.ae/diwali2019/