Little India; Singapore

I've always made it a point to visit the Chinatown of each country I'm in when I travel. But during my trip to Singapore I decided to mix things up a little and instead of visiting Chinatown in Singapore, I made a visit to to Little India. And I am glad that I did make the change, Little India was a wonderful mix of art, culture, food (though I forgot to take photos of the food there) and colors. It was a feast for all the senses and for the mind body and spirit.

Little India is a mix of souvenir shops, food stalls, fruit stands, clothes stalls and henna tattoo parlors. Like it's culture, people, traditions and beliefs and way of life, it was very colorful and lively. Little India provides a peak into the Indian way of life, where everyday life mixes in with spirituality and the metaphysical.

During my visit to Little India, everyone there was preparing for the Deepavali/Diwali festival which will Fall on November 2, 2013, Saturday. Deepavali is known as the "festival of lights". For Hindus, it is the most important festivals and days of the year. Families celebrate together, they perform various rituals to pay homage to deities and spirits. Deepavali is the day when Mahavira attained enlightenment and entered moksha and nirvana (527 BCE). Being the "festival of lights" Deepavali involves the act of lighting small clay lamps with oil, which symbolizes the triumph of good over evil. The lamps are kept lit at night and the house must be cleaned to invite the goddess Lakshmi in and welcomed. During the night of the festival, firecrackers are lit to drive away negative energy and evil spirits lurking about in the shadows (similar to Chinese New Year). And like all New Year celebrations, people who celebrate Deepavali, must wear new clothes and share sweets with family, friends and loved ones.

I've always wanted to attend and see Deepavali, but due to my short stay in Sinapore (I left Singapore yesterday, Wednesday October 16, 2013), I couldn't attend Deepavali this trip. Maybe next year's Deepavali, after all Singapore is just a 3 hour flight from Manila, Philippines, so I'm sure that I'd be able to attend Deepavali for sure sometime.

So next time you find yourself walking the streets of Singapore and wanting to go to somewhere where all your senses can have a wonderful time at, do make your way to Little India. And if you're in Singapore on November 2, 2013, do go to Little India and join the Deepavali festival, and be dazzled by the lights from the oil lamps, firecrackers and the colors of all the flower garlands that are offered to the deities and spirits.