Singapore is a multi-racial country, and Cultural heritage is an important part of a Singaporean’s identity.
Deepavali (Northern Indians call it Diwali) – the Festival of Lights
In case you are confused, Deepavali is not a celebration of the Indian New Year. The Indian New Year falls in April.
Deepavali is a celebration of the triumph of good over evil in several myths from Hindu mythology and ancient literature. You can read more about the myths on Singapore Infopedia, In Singapore, public festivities during Deepavali are concentrated in the Little India area.
This Deepavali, Indian Heritage Centre (IHC) is celebrating the joyous occasion with an exciting array of programs from 1 Oct 2022 to 23 Oct 2022. Many may have already seen the miniature replica of the Little Indian Deepavali Street light-up arch along Campbell Lane since 19 Sep 2022.
Programmes Highlights for Indian Heritage Centre Deepavali Open House 2022
Enjoy the annual Little Indian Deevepali street light-up and decoration featuring oil lamps and peacock designs on the Deepavali Big Bus Tour. In Hinduism, lamps symbolise the victory of good over evil, and peacock (feather) is an auspicious symbol. Learn more about Little Indian precinct through this guided tour on the open-top sightseeing bus. Note that the Bus tours are only conducted on 1,8,15, & 22 Oct 20022 from 6pm to 8pm.
One can also opt to ‘lay low’, sit back, and enjoy the festival feel over the Little India Trishaw Trail. Available only on Friday evenings – 30 Sep, 7, 14 & 21 Oct 2022, each trail duration is around 15 minutes, and there are only 7 time slots per day. Note that the Trishaw Trail tickets for 7, 14 & 21 Oct will be released weekly on Mondays at 12noon prior to the Friday Trishaw Trails.
Other Deepavali-theme programmes includes:
- Community LEGO Mural from 1 Oct to 23 Oct 2022 – Visitors can be a part of the rangoli-inspired LEGO mural (designed in collaboration with LEGO artist Jeffrey Kong) by filling in coloured LEDO bricks to the white outline of the design.
- Drop-in Activities from 1 Oct to 23 Oct 2022 – Hands-on with various drop-in activities at the IHC lobby, including decorating oil lamps and Ramayana shadow puppets.
- Clay Oil Lamp Mandala Painting Workshop on 15 & 16 Oct 2022 – Participants can decorate their very own clay oil lamp with Mandala dot painting
- Festival Deepavali Dishes cooking demonstration on 16 & 23 Oct 2022 – Learn how to make festive Deepavali meals, and enjoy a sampling of these dishes at the end.
- Guided tour of Little India Heritage Trail on 1, 8, 15 & 22 Oct 2022 – Featuring a collection of heritage businesses in the precinct.
- Deepavali in Animal Land on 22 Oct 2022 – Kids will be engaged in this Interactive storing session, paired with musical performance and fun craft sessions.
Remember to capture your memories of these programmes and upload them with hashtag #IHCDeepavali! You can redeem limited-edition money packets featuring oil lam and peacock designs.
Admission to IHC is free for all, but registration for certain programmes is required at https://ihc-programmes.peatix.com.
For more information, visit
IHC website on: http://indianheritage.org.sg or
IHC’s Facebook page on: https://www.facebook.com/indianheritagecentre