Deepavali, also known as Festival of Lights is celebrated by Hindus around the world. Falling during the month of Aipasi (between mid-October to mid-November), the annual festival is one that celebrates the triumph of good over evil and light over darkness. This is why Hindus mark the occasion by illuminating their homes with oil lamps.
In the lead up to the occasion, the shops and streets in Singapore’s Little India are brightly lit and decorated. Families flock to the area to buy traditional snacks and sweets, textiles for new clothes, gold jewellery, floral garlands and ornamental decorative items for their homes.
As this month’s theme for Blast From The Past, learn how Hindus in Singapore celebrate Deepavali by checking out the National Archives of Singapore’s curated selection of photographs, audio visual clips and oral history interviews.
(Source: “Deepavali” in Infopedia and Visit Singapore websites respectively)
Oral History Interviews
1. Oral History Interview with Kantilal Jamnadas Shah, Founder of Jitendra, Kantilal & Co
Acc No. 795
Celebration of Deepavali in the pre-war days
2. Oral History Interview with Ram Swarath Dube, Former Laboratory Technician at Singapore General Hospital
Acc No. 610
The origins of the utilisation of lights during Deepavali
3. Oral History Interview with Mohinder Singh, Former Teacher
Acc No. 546
The significance of light during Deepavali
4. Oral History Interview with Valuppillai s/o Pandarapillai, Former Income Tax Officer
Acc No. 339
Held a week before Deepavali, the Theemithi, or firewalking, is a Hindu practice where devotees walk across a fire pit in exchange for blessings
Audiovisual Recordings
1. English For You: Getting Ready For Deepavali
Date: 1972
Acc No. 2006001331
Ministry of Education, courtesy of the National Archives of Singapore
Aimed at Secondary 1 students, this programme educates viewers on Deepavali, and how Hindus prepare for and celebrate this festival.
2. News (01/11/1986)
Date: 1986
Acc No. 1987000032
Mediacorp Pte Ltd, courtesy of the National Archives of Singapore
This news report follows a Hindu family as they celebrate Deepavali at home on the morning of the festival.
3. News (19/9/2006)
Date: 2006
Acc No. 2006002738
Mediacorp Pte Ltd, courtesy of the National Archives of Singapore
Many festivals are celebrated each year in multi-ethnic and multireligious Singapore. In 2006, three festivals coincided for the first time, with Deepavali, Hari Raya Puasa, and the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival occurring during the same period.
Photographs
1. Colourful garlands and flowers on sale, juxtaposed with the vibrant saris worn by shoppers at Serangoon Road during the festive period of Deepavali.
Ministry of Information and the Arts Collection, courtesy of the National Archives of Singapore
2. Ladies buying food and soaking up the festive atmosphere at Serangoon Road in the run-up to Deepavali.
Ministry of Information and the Arts Collection, courtesy of the National Archives of Singapore
3. Ladies selecting cloth to make saris during their Deepavali shopping in Serangoon Road area.
Ministry of Information and the Arts Collection, courtesy of the National Archives of Singapore