DUBAI, March 7, 2020 (Gulf News): It will be a colurless Holi festival for Indian expats this year as Hindu temples in Bur Dubai have cancelled the celebrations and advised against throwing colors to prevent the spread of coronavirus. This is in addition to other preventive measures such as reduction in prayer times and providing sanitizers as part of preventive measures to protect the devotees and the larger community, the managements of both Shiva and Krishna temples told Gulf News on Saturday. “The Holi celebrations have been cancelled. We are taking precautionary steps in line with DHA [Dubai Health Authority] instructions,” said Gopal Kokani, general manager of the Guru Darbar Sindhi Temple (Shiva temple). He said the daily opening hours of the temple have also been reduced.
Lalit Karani, chairman of the Sreenathji (Krishna) Temple run by the Mercantile Hindu Community of Thatta said the Holi celebrations on March 9 and 10 have been cancelled in the interest of public health safety. “The Holi Utsav and Dhol Utsav will not be celebrated for public,” the temple management said in a notice to devotees which is being circulated on social media as well. “We request all to avoid unnecessary gatherings in order to limit the spread of infection. Avoid throwing colors (wet/dry) in the temple premises and compound area,” the notice stated, with No Colors Please highlighted. Also, to avoid devotees crowding up for prayers, the temple will admit them for one hour every alternative hour from 12 noon to 7pm. Other Holi events in Dubai had also been cancelled earlier.
See also: https://www.indulgexpress.com/life-style/society/2020/mar/09/hindu-temples-in-dubai-cancel-all-public-holi-celebrations-to-avoid-the-spread-of-coronavirus-22991.html