The Street Party of Deepavali
at Little India

The start: I have shot Deepavali for multiple years in a row. It started of curiosity for me about the festivities. Growing up with limited friends from other cultures, I have always wanted to explore the celebrations of different cultures. So, when I picked up photography many years back, the first festival I thought with the most life to cover was naturally Deepavali. What kept me going, and still making me continue shooting this festival, is that I discover many new things every year. One discovery is a street party made known to the Singapore street photography community after midnight by Singaporean photographer  Aik Beng Chia, who documented it in 2018.

What is Deepavali?: Deepavali, a Hindu religious festival from India, celebrates the victory of light over darkness. It is also known as the festival of lights, as oil lamps, also called Diyas, drive away darkness and the coming of light. It also signifies purity, goodness, good luck and power. The origins of this festival date back to India, where King Rama, an incarnation of the god Vishnu, rescued his wife, Sita, from an evil king in Lanka with an army of monkeys. People from Ayodhya lit millions of lights spread around the city to help King Rama and Sita get back to the City. Deepavali is celebrated widely in Singapore among the Indian population in this country. 

What usually happens: Most festivities happen on the eve of Deepavali and occur in the area of Little India in Singapore. Typical must-sees and experiences include getting a henna tattoo and visiting a Hindu temple to witness the prayers and the lighting of Diyas. After shooting this festival for multiple years, I discovered that Deepavali in Singapore is not just known as the festival of lights but also as the festival of sound and fun. Once the clock hits midnight, signalling the start of the day of Deepavali, there is a street party where strangers get around and have fun, which involves waging war, dancing and strangers getting together to bond and celebrate the start of the festivities.

Minutes before the clock strikes midnight to signify the start of Deepavali, people hug and wish each other well. People start lighting up sparklers and waving around with their friends.

The cheers: The moment midnight hits and Deepavali starts, strangers get together and shout, “Happy Deepavali!” For a few hours, people start cheering and partying on the street. People would come up to you and take selfies, despite being strangers. People would hug you and call you their bro for that moment.

“An ear doctor after a war.”

Confetti war: Soon after, a confetti gun war will ensue. People will start shooting confetti guns (and sometimes bazookas),  in the air,  at each other and you. You will get involved, and you will join in the confetti war. Your ears will go numb with the whistling, cheering and bangs of confetti guns going right beside your ears. It’s loud, and you probably need to see an ear doctor tomorrow, but trust me, it will be one of the most memorable experiences in your life. 

“Getting messy with snow spray.”

Snow-spray contest: If an all-out confetti war is not your thing, another war you can join is a snow-spray contest with random strangers. Shoot snow spray at each other, and get messy. This snow-spray war is more for people who want to interact and go to party wars with strangers but do not necessarily want the temporary hearing damage from the bang-bang sounds of the confetti guns.

Dance party: If neither of the above two choices is to your liking, or you love both, and you want to join in a third activity, you can have a dance party with random strangers: the music being the cheers of the strangers around you. Get close, I mean really close, with strangers to show off your dance moves.

My thoughts after years: Participating and shooting this street party have been one of the most enjoyable moments of my life. To this day, I always look back and think about the fun and joy I had, the random selfies I have with strangers. The interactions and bonds between people despite knowing that you would never talk to them again the next day. This feeling and knowledge are what make this street party so meaningful. For just that few hours, we forget that we can share happiness with not just our close ones but also with random people we meet. So, if you are looking for a fun activity to interact with people while partying, perhaps head down to Little India and wait until midnight to come to join in this street party.

Directions: Take the MRT to Little India station, and head towards the streets beside the Little India arcade.

Timings: 11pm-2am