Two roads in Singapore's Little India will be closed on three Sundays, October 1, October 8 and October 15 and on Tuesday, October 17 for the 2017 Deepavali Fair. Deepavali will be celebrated in the Lion City on 18 September.
Little India is an ethnic district in Singapore and is known as Tekka in the Indian Singaporean community.
Birch Road, which is located between Serangoon Road and Farrer Park Station Road, as well as Burmah Road, will remain closed from 5 pm to 11 pm on the three Sundays in October. The two roads will also be closed from 5 pm on October 17, which is the eve of Deepavali, until 4 am on the day of Deepavali.
Deepavali or Diwali, popularly known as the Festival of Lights, is one of the most important festivals of the Hindus. It is celebrated across the world by not only Hindus but by people from every walk of life.
This year's light-up for Deepavali Fair event will feature elephant motifs and at least 1.5 million bulbs bedecking the Serangoon Road and Race Course Road. The street light-up ceremony was held on September 2 and was presided over by Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean.
The upcoming events lined up to start the ball rolling for this year's Deepavali include a walk across a fire pit on October 8 and a Silver Chariot procession from the 185-year-old Sri Mariamman Temple situated in South Bridge Road to Little India on October 9 at 9 pm.
Only police and emergency vehicles are given access to these roads during the closure. Auxiliary police officers will be deployed to direct the motorists during road closures along the affected roads.
Parking restrictions along the peripheral roads will be strictly executed. The police confirmed in their statement that vehicles found parking and causing obstruction to moving traffic will be towed.
