Residents, staff and families at Colten Care homes across Dorset have enjoyed a colourful celebration of Diwali, the festival of light.
At Fernhill dementia care home in Longham, Health Care Assistants Annesha Safeer and Anna Thomas organised activities including sari wearing, stick dancing and bindi decorating. They also playfully threw coloured powder over colleagues in the traditional Holi custom to share good luck and blessings.
Annesha said it reminded her of celebrating with family back home in Kerala, south India, adding that seeing everyone’s faces light up made it a special afternoon.
The Aldbury in Poole hosted a lively Diwali dance performance led by Senior Care Lead Bincy Thomas, supported by team members including Ravini Widanapathirana and Sree Remya Manikandan. Residents joined in, wearing sequined scarves and pompoms, with one saying she “felt like dancing in India itself.”
At Amberwood House in Ferndown, residents created rangoli patterns with coloured rice and petals, lit oil lamps, and enjoyed Bollywood-style dancing.
Across all homes, chefs prepared traditional Indian dishes including samosas, curries and sweet jalebi, served with spiced teas — marking a day filled with light, culture and togetherness.
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