Indian Heritage Centre’s Deepavali festivities to take place Oct 14-Nov 12; feature traditional food, fashion, art

For five weekends starting on Oct 14, the Indian Heritage Centre (IHC) will offer a way to brighten up your week with its Deepavali celebrations.

As part of the IHC Open House 2023, each weekend will celebrate a different facet of Deepavali traditions.

Here are some of the highlights:

Anyone hungering for a good time can anticipate the first part (Oct 14 to 15) of the Deepavali celebration, which will spotlight Indian cooking. 

To kick off the weekend, IHC will organise a Food Trail, where participants will be able to learn about the ingredients and cooking methods that spice up Indian cuisine. 

The Food Trail will take place on Oct 14 from 11am to 12.30pm.

Other events to tuck into during the food-themed weekend include live cooking workshops and demonstrations for hyderabad mock meat biryani, murukku, and thosai and chutney. 

For dessert, anyone with a second stomach for sweets can find their way to the ladoo-making kids’ workshop centred around the spherical sweet. It will combine the process of making the treat with storytelling. 

The workshop, which will take place on Oct 14 at 11am, will lead participants through the story of Diya and her Nani. Together, they will make ladoo and learn about Deepavali and the cultural importance of lighting diyas (small clay oil lamps).

The celebrations’ second weekend (Oct 21 to 22) will be themed after Indian fashion. Visitors can look forward to a slew of activities focused on traditional clothing and jewellery.

Attendees can pick up the art of draping a saree at IHC’s masterclass, where they will learn to pleat and arrange the garment and understand its cultural significance.

The workshop will be held on Oct 21 from 11am to 1pm.

There will also be South Indian jewellery painting and henna artistry workshops to anticipate, which aim to connect visitors with the history behind each tradition.

The third weekend (Oct 28 – 29) of the Deepavali celebrations is grounded in the arts. 

In the centuries-old tradition of Indian miniatures painting, attendees can learn to paint divine figures and ornate patterns using intricate detailing. 

The workshop will be offered across Oct 26 to 29, from 3pm to 3.30pm. 

IHC will also organise cultural dance performances from Nov 4 to 5 at 11am, 2pm and 4pm on each day. 

Visitors aged 14 and above can bask in the five-minute performances, which will be held by candlelight amidst IHC’s artefacts.

Beyond the performances, the array of artistic events will also involve a Tanjore gilded art workshop.

In the celebrations’ fourth weekend (Nov 4 to 5),  IHC will delve into the rich mythology that surrounds Deepavali with a dramatisation of the story of Hindu deity Krishna and Radha, in which “love transcends time and space”.

The hour-long dramatised gallery tour will take place at IHC’s Permanent Galleries, and can be attended by those five and above. It will be held across Nov 4 and 5 from 10am to 11am.

The final weekend of the celebrations falls on the eve and day of Deepavali (Nov 11 – 12), and will see colourful decorations sprawling across IHC and Little India. 

Visitors are encouraged to explore the area and soak in the festive atmosphere.

READ: A walk down Little India during the Deepavali light up

A full calendar of events can be found on the Indian Heritage Centre’s website. Registration for selected events can be done via Peatix’s platform, where the exact pricing and timing of each activity is also available.  

Pricing for each event ranges from free of cost to $25.

Admission to the Indian Heritage Centre, not inclusive of event attendance, is free for Singaporeans and Permanent Residents. 

The Indian Heritage Centre is located at 5 Campbell Lane, Singapore 209924.