A walk down Little India during the Deepavali light up

The decorations for the annual Deepavali celebrations are lighting up Serangoon Road and Race Course Road at Little India from Sep 16 to Nov 13. 

Known as the ‘festival of lights’, Deepavali is the most important Hindu festival and is celebrated around the world. According to the Hindu lunar calendar, Deepavali falls on Oct 24 this year.

A key installation of the Deepavali lights this year is a peacock sculpture located at Kinta Road, which members of the public enjoying the festivities of Little India can use as a photo backdrop for selfies.

This year’s Deepavali will see the full-scale return of bazaars and open-air concerts, after two years COVID-19 restrictions. 

During this year’s light-up ceremony on Sep 16, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat said that this Deepavali is a chance to reflect on the end of muted celebrations of the last two years. 

He said: “COVID-19 has been a dark and difficult two years. But we have finally emerged into the light.”

The Indian Heritage Centre will also hold a variety of activities during their annual Open House which runs from Oct 1 to 23. These include trishaw rides, open-top bus tours and cooking demonstrations of festive Deepavali dishes by celebrity chefs. 

The Sri Srinivasa Perumal and Sri Vadapathira Kaliamman temples were also bustling with activity in the evenings.

More details of this year’s Deepavali at Little India and the activities are available on Little India Shopkeepers & Heritage Association (LiSHA) website.