This year’s Deepavali Light Up will be inaugurated by Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat on Friday September 16 in Singapore’s Little India.

It will be the opening show to a slew of exciting activities that the Little India Shopkeepers & Heritage Association (LISHA) have lined up to celebrate the Festival of Lights which falls on October 24.

Among the 12 special events which will take place over a period of three weeks from October 1 to October 22, some have neve been seen before in the 37 years since the Deepavali Light Up first started in 1985.

These include three mascots dressed as popular characters from the ancient Indian Puranas such as Radha, Krishna and Naragasuran who will be walking down the street, as well as a rap contest.

Announcing this at a recent media launch, a spokesman for LISHA said the theme for the festival this year will centre around dancing and music. With the easing of Covid restrictions, the organisers expect five million visitors in Little India during the month-long festival.

Apart from this there will also be virtual events, family games, cooking demonstrations, cultural workshops and beauty contests featuring Indian traditional attire.

Under a collaboration between LISHA and SMRT, public trains and buses will be decorated with Deepavali Rangoli designs starting from October 3.

The elderly and underprivileged have not been forgotten and volunteers will deliver “hong baos” (money packets) and goody bags of Deepavali delicacies to them.

Among the cultural activities will be a treasure hunt aimed at promoting Indian traditions that will take participants to ten different stations spread across Little India. This will be held on Oct 8 and 15.

For further details go to wwwdeepavali.sg