DPM Heng Swee Keat at the Deepavali Light-Up Ceremony 2020

வணக்கம். I am glad to join you today for the Deepavali Light-Up.

This comes more than a month before Deepavali, and shortly after our Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations in Chinatown two weeks ago.

Here in Singapore, I am glad that we celebrate our major festivals together as one people, as we embrace our roots as a multi-racial and multi-cultural society.

Despite the constraints imposed by COVID-19, I hope that these festivities will help to lift the spirits of Singaporeans during these difficult times, as we celebrate together with family and friends.

Deepavali is a major festival in Singapore. Also known as the Festival of Lights, Deepavali is a big occasion for our Hindu community.

In Little India, Deepavali is marked each year by a street light-up along Serangoon Road and parts of Race Course Road.

The light-up celebrates the triumph of light over darkness, and good over evil.
In the midst of a crisis, the light-up is also a beacon of hope as we embark on the road to recovery from the pandemic.

Even though we have scaled down the celebrations this year due to the virus, the festive spirit remains bright.

As we go about celebrating Deepavali, I hope all of us will continue to heed the safe management measures and keep safe.

Let me congratulate the Little India Shopkeepers & Heritage Association (LISHA) for adapting this year’s celebrations to the times.

The Association has teamed up with partners to offer workshops on the Rangoli, henna painting and preparing signature Deepavali dishes online.

The Indian Heritage Centre started a digital campaign to collect and share stories on past Deepavali festivals. Vasantham will also be broadcasting the launch of the Deepavali Light-Up live, so that viewers can witness the event from the comfort of their homes.

Here’s wishing all our Hindu friends a very Happy Deepavali, and to a better and brighter year ahead. இனிய தீபாவளி வாழ்த்துக்கள்!

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