This five-day festival in Sanskrit literally means “Row of Lights”, is a time of celebration and prayers. On the Indian subcontinent, Deepavali arrives with a bang. Over the course of three days, the air fizzes and smokes with firecrackers. With preparations beginning weeks in advance, families come together to celebrate on a night filled with lights. In Northern India, where the weather is colder, Deepavali also heralds the beginning of winter.

Over here in Singapore, although firecrackers are noticeably absent (sale of firecrackers has been banned since 1972 under the Dangerous Fireworks Act), the spirit isn’t all that different. Little India glows with fairy lights and lamps, and shops blaze with colour. All the temples are beautifully lit and people throng to stalls selling sweets, snacks and traditional Indian handicrafts.

Being a national holiday (this year it falls on 5 November), Deepavali isn’t limited to Little India alone. From neighbourhood supermarkets to major toy stores, there are cheerful decorations wishing shoppers a very “Happy Deepavali”.

Legend has it

So what’s the story behind this special festival? There are, in fact, many. According to one legend, a demon called Narakasura ruled over a kingdom called Pradyoshapuram. The villagers under his rule were tortured and suffered greatly. So they prayed and called upon the Hindu god Krishna, to save them. The day Krishna ascended and killed the demon is the day that is now celebrated as Deepavali.

Another legend, popular amongst the North Indians, is that it’s the celebration of the Hindu God Ram’s defeat of the demon Raavan. Diwali marks Ram’s triumphant return to his kingdom, Ayodhya.

Whatever the story, it’s a classic tale of good triumphing over evil. The festival is also a celebration of togetherness, and an opportunity to meet friends and relatives to exchange good wishes. In many communities, new clothes are bought and it is regarded as a time of merry-making as well as worship. Rich Indian sweets flow from one household to another, to symbolically ‘sweeten’ the year ahead.

Regardless of whether one is celebrating here in Singapore or in India, one is bound to see a profusion of lights everywhere. During this festival, lamps, especially oil lamps, play a very important role. These diyas or deepams are generally made from clay and decorated with paint and sequins. They are then filled with a variety of oils – coconut, mustard, or clarified butter − depending on the community, and are arranged in rows.

In Singapore, Tamil Hindus believe that the oil lamps serve as guides for the spirits of their ancestors, who come back to their homes for a visit during the festival. Similar to the Chinese festival of honouring the dead, they cook their ancestors’ favourite foods and only eat these once the food has been ‘blessed’.

Spring cleaning

Each community celebrates in slightly different ways, but during Deepavali, all houses are cleaned − sometimes even whitewashed − and doorways are adorned with strings of marigolds and mango leaves. For all Hindus, it is like welcoming God into their home. It’s also a kind of thanksgiving for the wealth, peace, knowledge and happiness they have received that year. In some communities, this festival signifies the beginning of the financial year and people perform prayers dedicated to the Goddess of Wealth, Lakshmi, and also sometimes to the elephant-headed god Ganesha, who is considered the Lord of Beginnings and the Remover of Obstacles.

Typically on Deepavali, the day begins with a cleansing bath early in the morning, during which both the hair and body are rubbed with oil and then washed. This is regarded as purifying as a bath in the holy Indian river Ganges. After this, prayers follow. New clothes are worn and people will then go and visit family and friends. For some, the evening extends late into the night with popular card games and good-natured gambling.

Despite being rooted in religion, Deepavalli has today become a time of festivity for everyone. In India, the sky flashes with colour from fireworks and even the humblest home will be lit and decorated. Here in multicultural Singapore, many non-Indians are also invited to join in with the celebrations and tourists from all over the globe are always entranced by the activity in Little India.