What Diwali means for Indians studying in UAE

Recreating family traditions with friends makes homesickness a little less painful

- BY AREEBA HASHMI Special to Gulf News

For hundreds of international students in the UAE, Diwali means finding comfort, connection and community in a city far from their families.

Gulf News spoke to Indian students at Middlesex University Dubai, to find out how they are celebrating the festival of lights.

Mish from Mumbai, who is in her second year studying law, said that this time of the year brings both excitement and homesickness. Every year, Mish's family flies to Lucknow to celebrate Diwali with relatives, a cherished family tradition. “At home, the celebrations start days before,” she said. “Shopping for clothes, decorating the house, making rangolis, sharing sweets are those little moments that make Diwali special.”