Indians Races
Deepvali
Deepavali ( also known as Diwali), or Festival Of Lights celebrates the victory of light over darkness and good over evil. This festival which is also the Hindu new year usually falls in October or November. Countless flickering oil lamps and lights are lit in houses all over the country making it a night of enchantment. A special light up including garlands and colourful arches are used to mark the occasion at Little India. One of the many stories which explain why Deepavali is celebrated describes how Lord Krishna, a Hindu deity , defeated a demon and freed the people from suffering. Hindus light oil lamps to represent the victory of light over darkness. Decorative designs made with coloured rice flour, called Kolam are drawn on the floor in front of the house to welcome guests during Deepavali. Another reason why they are drawn with rice flour is so that food can be shared with the lower animals such as insects and birds on this special day. Most Hindus get up before dawn to take an oil bath. This symbolises the cleansing of the body of all evil thoughts and deeds and the making of a fresh start. Gingelly oil is oil extracted from sesame seeds and an oil bath is also regarded as cooling. When the sun begins to set, Hindus prepare to light oil lamps at home. The traditional oil lamp is a small clay bowl with a wick and oil These days, the use of electric bulbs, candles and even tea-lights is becoming common.The Indian community makes up 7% of the total number of SIngaporeans in Singapore. They are of different regional and language groups. The Indian community consists of Tamils (63.9%), Malayalees, Gujaratis, Bengalis, Sindhis and Punjabis. Tamil speakers form the majority of Indians. Religiously speaking, the largest group is hindu (56.5%) There are also Muslims, Christians, Sikhs and Buddhists. The majority of Indians come from Southern India and Sri Lanka. The Indian settlement is still found in parts of high Street and Serangoon Road (Little India).
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