Deepavali
Never dull, Little India springs even more gloriously to life over the colourful Hindu festival of Deepavali (or Diwali), which falls in October or November. Local Hindus mark the festival by lighting oil lamps (diyas) or candles in their homes. And no wonder – this is, after all, the Festival of Lights. The festival marks Lord Krishna’s slaying of the demon Narakasura, who ruled the kingdom of Pradyoshapuram by terror, torturing his subjects, and kidnapping the women and imprisoning them in his palace. Lord Krishna destroyed the demon, and Hindus across the world have given praise ever since. More universally, the festival celebrates the triumph of light over darkness, and of good over evil.
For Hindus, Deepavali is a period of great excitement, a time to dress up in colourful new clothes, deck their houses out in multi-hued decorations, prepare festive delicacies, exchange cards and gifts, and pay respects to their elders. On the morning of the festival itself, worshippers bathe themselves in oil, then proceed to the temple to thank the gods for the happiness, knowledge, peace and prosperity they have enjoyed in the year past, and to pray for more of the same in the coming year.
If you visit Little India in the run-up to Deepavali, you may find special markets selling decorations, confectionery, garlands and clothes around the Little India Arcade and also in the open areas close to the Angullia Mosque on Serangoon Road.
Tekka Market
At the start of Serangoon Rd, Tekka Market is a must-see, combining many of Little India’s commercial elements under one roof. It’s best to arrive in the morning when the wet market – as Singaporeans term a traditional market where the floor is periodically cleaned by hosing it down – is at its busiest. More sanitary than it once was thanks to recent renovations, the market is nevertheless hardly sanitized – halal butchers push around trolleys piled high with goats’ heads, while at seafood stalls live crabs, their claws tied together, shuffle in buckets. Look out also for a couple of stalls selling nothing but banana leaves, used to serve up delicious curry meals all over Singapore but especially in Little India. The cooked food at the hawker centre here is excellent, and though the same can’t be said of the mundane outlets upstairs selling Indian fabrics and household items, there are great views over the wet market to be had from here.
Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple
The most prominent shrine on Serangoon Road, the Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple has
a fanciful gopuram that’s flanked by lions atop the temple walls. The temple is dedicated
to Kali, the Hindu goddess of power or energy, and within the mandapam (worship
hall) are several depictions of her with ten arms; some have blue skin and fangs, while
others show her apparently trampling on her husband Lord Shiva, recalling an episode
from the Hindu scriptures.
The Thieves’ Market
If you’re in Little India at the weekend, you can take in a long-established flea market
a short walk from Dunlop Street, up Jalan Besar. To the right you’ll soon see dozens
of traders selling all manner of bric-a-brac. Once upon a time, much of the gear was
of dubious provenance – hence the appellation Thieves’ Market – though these days
it’s merely of dubious desirability, everything from old slippers to assorted mobilephone
chargers.