Deepavali Light Up 2007 @ Little India (Singapore)
12 Oct – 18 Nov 2007
Serangoon Road Singapore

Deepavali Light Up 2007 @ Little India (Singapore)

Deepavali has arrived and Little India is the place to be! Don’t miss what is expected to be the most spectacular Deepavali Light Up ever in Little India!

Little India will be glowing this year as Serangoon Road and eight additional major roads will be decorated and bursting with festive lights and colour this Deepavali season. In addition to the stretch of Serangoon Road, the other streets that will be dazzling with festive décor are Race Course Road, Buffalo Road, Dunlop Street, Syed Alwi Road, Kerbau Road, Upper Dickson Road, Belilios Road and Hastings Road. The theme for the street décor this year is Rangoli inspired. Rangoli (Indian floor art) designs are intricate, colourful and are said to bring prosperity when drawn at the entrance of an Indian household. The opening celebrations will feature a cross-cultural fusion of modern and ethnic music.

Event 1: Deepavali Heritage & Craft Exhibition
Date: Friday, 12 October 2007 – Wednesday, 7 November 2007
Time: 11.00am – 9.00pm daily
Venue: Deepavali Festival Village, Campbell Lane

Jewellery and bangle makers from India bring their traditional crafts to Little India. Expected to be a crowd puller, the craftsmen from New Delhi and Bombay will fashion custom jewellery just for you! And if you would like a portrait done, a visit to the caricature artist at the Festival Village is a must.

Event 2: UTSAV 2007 Deepavali Street Parade
Date: Saturday, 3 November 2007
Time: 7.00pm – 10.00pm
Venue: Along Race Course Road
Guest of Honour: Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Minister for Education & Second Minister for Finance
A not-to-be-missed event this Deepavali! A towering silver chariot, life-sized dolls, acrobatic drummers, never-before-seen Indian folk arts, amazing costumes…these are just some of the wonderful features of UTSAV Street Parade. Touted as Little India’s Chingay parade, it will feature more than 25 contingents of foreign and local artistes who will bring the grandeur of Indian culture to the streets of Little India.

Event 3: Deepavali Bazaar
Date: Friday, 12 October 2007 – Wednesday, 7 November 2007
Time: 11.00am – 11.00pm
Venue: Deepavali Festival Village, Campbell Lane
From saris to spices, the best of Little India will be available at the bazaar. This year, unique handicraft items brought down from India especially for the Deepavali season will be on sale.

Event 4: Deepavali Trade Fair
Date: Friday, 12 October 2007 – Wednesday, 7 November 2007
Time: 11.00am – 11.00pm
Venue : Serangoon Road, (opp. Serangoon Plaza)
The Fair will feature festive foods, ethnic wear, Indian artefacts and bargains.

Event 5 : Vasantham Central –DBS Deepavali Countdown Concert
Date : Wednesday, 7 November 2007
Time : 9.00pm onwards
Venue : Race Course Road
For the first time this year, Little India stages a Countdown Concert to usher in the Festival of Lights. Local and international celebrities join in the celebrations in a variety extravaganza. The spirit and joy of the concert and festival is televised live on MediaCorp TV 12’s Vasantham Central. DBS is title sponsor for the concert and welcomes the partnership for a community event like Deepavali Light Up.

Mr S Rajendran, Chairman of Hindu Endowments Board says, “Deepavali is an important and meaningful occasion for Hindus. We are using this joyous festival as a platform to showcase the rich heritage of the Indian people through our very exciting street parade UTSAV (3 Nov 2007). This year marks a milestone in our Deepavali celebrations in Little India. For the first time a LIVE three hour show will be beamed from our outdoor concert stage at Race Course Road on MediaCorp TV 12’s Vasantham Central (7 Nov 2007) to countdown to and usher in Deepavali. The entertainment for the evening will be top-notch with a strong line up of local and international Indian stars”.

Ms Carrie Kwik, Director of Cluster Development (Sightseeing & Cruise) from the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), agrees, “Little India is one of Singapore’s key ethnic precincts and an important focal point of Singapore’s Indian community. It is, in fact, one of Singapore’s top attractions among visitors. The Deepavali celebrations will make Little India an even more enticing attraction with stunning street decorations and delightful festive atmosphere. This year, more streets will be lit up, and visitors can also look forward to hallmark events like the UTSAV Street Parade and the first-ever Countdown Concert on the eve of Deepavali. As this year’s Deepavali light-up is held close to the Hari Raya Aidilfitri and Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations, visitors can also look forward to a delightful multi-cultural experience of three different ethnic celebrations right here in Singapore.”

For more information, please visit www.heb.gov.sg/lightup2007 and www.visitsingapore.com/1city3fest/

Edited & Photography by Eugene Tang. All Rights reserved