This Is How Singapore Celebrates Diwali!

Diwali or Deepawali is a festival of lights which is celebrated with a lot of enthusiasm in India. But did you know how grand the celebrations are in other countries as well like Singapore? Diwali is the annual Hindu celebration of the triumph of light over darkness. A place called Little India in this country is full of bright colours, tantalising aromas along with the light of a thousand oil lamps filling the streets.

During this festival of lights, huge statues of elephants and peacocks are displayed across Little India. According to Hindu tradition, elephants stand for royalty and abundance, while peacocks symbolise victory, love and wisdom.

As one of the major cultural festivals in Singapore, Diwali is celebrated to mark the triumph of good over evil. Thousands of Hindu families in the city decorate their abodes and workplace with beacons of light, exchange gifts, share feasts and perform pooja (prayers) to Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha.

Before the day of the festival, Hindu families throng Little India flock together at the district’s many bazaars and take pictures of the stunning street light-up. The monumental installations, Instagram-worthy decorations and bright festive lights stand out in for about a month after Deepavali. You can imagine with much zeal is the festival celebrated.

Chase the scents of floral garlands made from marigold and incense while walking through stalls selling jewellery, traditional snacks, traditional Indian sarees or saris and ornamental decorations. Enjoy a musical performance under the stars while getting an intricate henna tattoo done. Or simply park yourself at any of the neighbourhood’s many coffee shops with a mug of teh tarik (pulled milk tea) to watch one of the most beautiful festivals in Singapore blossom to life.

To enmesh yourself with the Hindu community, follow the Silver Chariot procession, held twice in the lead-up to Deepavali. Devotees tow a silver chariot that houses an effigy of the goddess Sri Drowpathai Amman all the way from the Sri Mariamman Temple in Chinatown—it’s the oldest of its kind in Singapore—to Little India.

About a week before the big day, the Sri Mariamman Temple here hosts 'Theemithi'. This cultural spectacle is a ritual that continues till the night, with thousands of men walking on burning charcoal as a tribute to the goddess.

Read More:This Diwali Add Colours To Your Rangoli Designs

Home Decorations

During Diwali, it is not hard to notice a Hindu home the house is lit up and bejewelled like an Indian bride. Each doorway boasts a beautiful rangoli made from flour, rice or flower petals. The rangoli can be in the form of geometric patterns, floral motifs, auspicious animals like elephant or peacock.And a lot of nature-inspired motifs to decorate the rangoli. These are created to welcome the Goddess and the Lord deities into theirhome so that they can bless the household for the year ahead.

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