Deepavali, the Indian festival of lights is around the corner! Hindus in Singapore, are cheerfully preparing for the celebration marked by adorning decorations, yummy Indian festive food and exquisite Indian traditional wear flaunted by men, women and children.
Being a multicultural society, different cultures in Singapore take part in Deepavali celebrations. The island buzzes with vibrant festivities going around. Whether you are celebrating Deepavali for religious reasons or just want to be part of the glitz and fun that the festival is about, Singapore has some great festive events along with food and shopping options to gear up for the festival of lights.
Here is how you can participate and prepare for Deepavali in Singapore during the long weekend:
Restaurants with a Deepavali menu
Deepavali is definitely about Indian traditional food and a lot of sweets. Although one can walk into any of the Indian restaurants to enjoy an Indian meal, there are selected restaurants that offer a special Diwali menu.
Tiffin Room – Try the Diwali Special Menu at Tiffin Room, located at the iconic Raffles Hotel and serving delicacies of the maharajahs since 1892.
Town Restaurant – The Fullerton Hotel’s Town Restaurant will be serving a lavish Deepavali buffet on the auspicious day of Diwali, on 12th November. It’s a great option to celebrate the occasion with family and friends at the beautiful location of Fullerton. There will also be a Heena artist available at the venue to add to the glory of the festivity.
Tandoor – The Tandoor restaurant at Holiday Inn, Orchard City Centre is another great spot for a Deepavali feast. The restaurant will be serving the full range of Indian dishes, starting from drinks to desserts at an affordable price per head. Check out Tandoor’s Diwali Buffet Menu here.
Rang Mahal – Rang Mahal, one of the well-known fine-dining Indian restaurants in Singapore is famous for packaging premium Mithais, or Indian sweets, in exquisite gift packs that you can buy for gifting during Deepavali or simply relishing at home with friends and family. Check out the Mithais from Rang Mahal.
Shopping for Indian traditional wear, jewellery and decor
Festive clothes – do you fancy dressing up in bright clothes and exquisite jewellery to get into the Diwali look? The Tekka market in Little India has the best shops that cater to varied tastes and budgets when it comes to Deepavali wear. The newly renovated market on the second floor of Tekka Centre has a number of shops lined up with vendors selling Deepavali special ethnic dresses for men, women and kids.
A few other options to check would be Fabindia in Vivo City, Absolute Panache at Roxy Square, Jinder’s at Selegie Road, Haniffa at Serangoon Road and multiple clothes stores lined up at Buffalo Road in Little India.
Ethnic jewellery – for adorning yourself with Indian jewellery, again Tekka market has a huge number of options selling imitation jewellery to go with Indian outfits. But if you are looking to buy real gold as per the Deepavali tradition, then there are jewellers like Malabar Gold, Joyalukkas and our old favourite Mustafa Centre where you can check out real stones, gold and silver jewellery for Deepavali.
Also, there are a number of online retailers that source jewellery from India and sell it through social media channels like Instagram and Facebook. A couple to mention would be Crimson Aura and Absolutsilver.
Decor – Diwali is all about decorating the house to welcome Goddess Laxmi, the goddess of wealth. Decorative clay lamps called diyas, door hangings or Torans and electric light bulbs are some of the items that we use for decorating the house during Diwali. Multiple shops at Campbell Lane in Little India, sell Diwali decor. Just walk in the bustling street and grab the decor you like. Also, there are sellers like Decor Station and Just Fab that sell home decor for Deepavali to pep up the house for the upcoming festival.
Cultural Events to Enjoy during Deepavali in Singapore
Rangoli & Rhythm @ Singapore Sports Hub
Join Rangoli & Rhythm on the 10th and 11th of November for a colourful experience with rangoli, an Indian floor art, made during Diwali time and also move a leg at Bollywood rhythms.
Clive Street in Little India is decked up with Diwali stuff, especially sumptuous Indian snacks. Visit the vibrant Food Bazaar for an immersive Diwali experience and enjoy varied yummy snacks. You can bring home these jars of sweet and savoury snacks to enjoy with your friends and family on the auspicious day of Deepavali.
Jubilant Diwali @ Tampines Central CC – Tampines Central CC is celebrating Jubilant Deepavali with mesmerising performances by Vasantham artists, games with prizes, door gifts and of course sumptuous Indian festive food. There is nothing like enjoying the Deepavali spirit with the community.
Kalaa Utsavam – Indian Festival of Arts 2023 – The Esplanade, which is the heart of art and culture in Singapore, will be celebrating Indian arts and culture from 17th – 26th November with a variety of programmes like music, drama, dance and workshops, with famed artists coming to India. Check out the schedule at the above link for details of the programmes.
We hope all this info will help you in preparing for Deepavali in Singapore. So get going and prep up to celebrate the festival of lights, which falls on 12th November this year.
On a separate note, if you are expecting a baby, you might be interested in reading our recent article on ‘Practical Tips on How to Plan Your Finances Better.’