More than new clothes and sweets, Deepavali is about family and tradition

Deepavali celebrations in Singapore go beyond new clothes and sweets, encompassing family bonds and cherished traditions. For 65-year-old P. Parvathy from Sengkang, visiting Johor Bahru for Deepavali is a yearly ritual that also allows her to reunite with relatives. At the Deepavali Bazaar, she browses decorative items like floral ornaments and bangles, finding the selection more enticing this year.

Deepavali preparations begin the night before, with family members preparing traditional delicacies and participating in prayers and bathing rituals. In Brickfields, Little India thrives with shoppers rushing to secure Deepavali essentials. For 40-year-old K. Kalaivani from Pasir Gudang, this year's Deepavali carries special meaning as her family will perform a religious ceremony to mark her daughter’s coming of age.

In addition to buying traditional attire, she procured flowers for the ceremony and necessary items. Traditional snack seller Renuka, 34, stocks over 50 varieties of biscuits and savoury snacks for the festival, catering to the Indian community’s festive spread. Sales began over 15 days prior, offering customers a range of options such as tarts, suji, and murukku. Deepavali, also known as the Festival of Lights, will be observed by Hindus across the nation.