Please note that this is an overdue event

Deepavali Celebrations 2021 at the National Museum

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Ignite all five of your senses and immerse yourselves in the festive mood of Deepavali!

Look for this festive sweet in our gallery and share with us a memory of your celebrations to receive a specially-illustrated portrait of yourself!

Get in touch with your artistic side in creating your own diya (tealight candle holder) as a keepsake.

Enjoy a fascinating Odissi dance performance by Soo Mei Fei and hear her tell a story of how light triumphs over darkness.

Smell the aroma as second-generation business Jeya Spices speaks about custom-blended spice mixes, and be surprised by the common ingredients shared in preparing festive favourites across the different ethnic festivals.

Have fun creating laddu, a traditional sweet enjoyed during Deepavali and taste your creation when you get home!

TOUCH - Diya Painting

30 Oct | 11am – 6pm
Gallery Theatre
$5/pair

During the festival of lights, diyas (tealight candle holder) are a familiar sight in the homes of celebrants. Express your creativity and get in TOUCH with your artistic selves by painting your own diya.

Limited spaces available. Each ticket entitles one pair of participants to a set of craft materials. Please ensure that social distancing and SMM are observed at all times. Participants are reminded to keep their masks on during the session.

SMELL − A Lighter Side of History: A DeLIGHTful Deepavali with Jeya Spices

30 Oct | 3 – 4.30pm
G10 (Level 1)
$28/pax or $50/pair

Deepavali, also known as the Festival of Lights, is a major cultural festival in Singapore that celebrates the triumph of light over darkness. During this festive season, families transform their homes into beacons of light, buy new clothes and decorate their doorways with rangoli (intricate patterns made from coloured rice powder or rice grains).

Food is also an important part of Deepavali and homes are often filled with the fragrance of spices as families prepare a wide variety of dishes to feast on.

In this special programme, Jeya from Jeya Spices will be sharing his memories of celebrating Deepavali with his family, his journey to becoming a ‘spice man’, and the similarities and differences between the spices used to flavour dishes from the various ethnic groups. Participants will even get to learn how to make their own custom spice blend!

Limited spaces available. Price includes presentation by Jeya Spices and spice mixing workshop. Suitable for participants aged 13 and above. Please ensure that social distancing and SMM are observed at all times. No food consumption or tasting is allowed and participants are to remain seated and wear their masks during the workshop.

HEAR – Odissi: A Tale of Light over Darkness [On-site Performance is FULL]

30 Oct | 4.30 – 5.30pm
Gallery Theatre | Also on NMS Facebook Livestream
Free

Watch this captivating performance by Soo Mei Fei, who first picked up classical Indian dance in secondary school. Overcoming cultural barriers, she fell in love with this art form and has continued her interest until today.

Catch her interpretation of an Odissi performance called Dashavatar and HEAR two different folktales relating to Deepavali. From Northern India is a story of how Rama’s return to Ayodhya sparks a celebration, while its Southern counterpart is an account of Krishna’s victory over Narakusara, both of which feature the triumph of light over darkness.