Deepavali (also known as 'Diwali' or the 'Festival of Light') is the most important Hindu festival of the year. It celebrates the victory of the powers of light over darkness, and is embraced by the large Indian community in Malaysia as a time of year to visit family and eat good food. The Little India area of Kuala Lumpur is the place to go to sample the atmosphere, as you might expect, and it is located just outside Central Station in KL. There is a large bazaar which is generally held in Brickfields, although this year it relocated to Masjid India. This was because local shop-owners had complained about losing business, due to stall-holders setting up outside their stores. Which is understandable. Either way, you can experience the noise and colour by wandering about either location in the run-up to the Festival. A lot of clothes shopping gets done in the run up to Deepavali too, as tradition states that new clothes should be worn on the day of the feast.You may also come across a Rangoli - a design created out of coloured rice and meant as a welcoming site for Hindu deities. These days, the deities may find themselves being welcomed to a shopping centre concourse, but the designs are beautiful just the same.
 |
| Rangoli |
 |
| Bazaar stall |
No comments:
Post a Comment