Indian Cultural Fiesta set to showcase traditions, rituals and arts of 16 Indian ethnic associations
THIS year’s Indian Cultural Fiesta will feature 16 Indian ethnic associations and societies from different regions in India.
The Little India Shopkeepers and Heritage Association (Lisha), together with these groups, will be presenting the Indian cultures, practices, traditions, rituals and arts to visitors. The fiesta will be held at Campbell Lane and the Indian Heritage Centre (IHC).
Some of the participating groups include the Singapore Gujarati Society, Assam Association Singapore, Bengali Association Singapore, Young Sikh Association and Marwari Mitra Mandal.
To kick off the activities on April 7, there will be a cultural concert at Campbell Lane by local celebrities, arts groups and ethnic groups comprising Indians and multi-racial artists.
The launch will be graced by Education Minister (Schools) Ng Chee Meng and is expected to draw audiences from various communities.
As part of the fiesta, an exhibition from April 7 to 13 at IHC will let visitors discover informative exhibitions showcasing authentic cultures and traditions of the multiple ethnic Indian communities.
This year, the associations and societies participating in the exhibition are focussing on the theme of weddings to showcase the significant practises of each ethnicity.
There will also be an exclusive cultural programme which will see performances by artists from India and Singapore. It will take place at Campbell Lane on April 8, 10, 11, 12 and 13. Additionally, a special cultural programme will be organised on April 14 and 15 to commemorate the Tamils’ Chithirai Vizha Festival.
Minister for Trade and Industry (Industry) S. Iswaran will grace the opening of the festival to kick start the celebrations in conjunction with the Tamil Language Festival.
On the evening of both days, renowned artists Kalaimamani Veeramani Raju and Isaikavi Ramanan will perform at Campbell Lane with an orchestra from India.
In line with Chitirai Vizha and in conjunction with the Tamil Language Festival, Lisha, together with National Library Board’s Vaasagar Vattam, will be organising a book poster design contest. It aims to encourage young Singaporeans to read Tamil books and showcase their creativity by designing posters that will inspire their fellow age group members to read those books that they enjoyed.
Those interested can register their interest on April 15 at IHC and take part in the contest on the same day.
On April 23, Lisha’s Women’s Wing will present Tamizhil Natpum Kaathalum at the Banana Leaf Apolo’s function room.
The segment in the afternoon, will consist of a love story narrated by Dr Mannai Rajagoplan, which will combine live singing with musical instruments. This segment will bring to life the beauty of the Tamil language, poetic Tamil verses of love songs, how romantic the Tamil language could be and how beautifully it can describe friendship.
There will also be a panel discussion on Moozhgatha Shippu Friendshippa Love Shippa?
In this segment there will be 16 panellists, two guest speakers and a moderator. The concept is derived from Neeya Naana – a well-known television programme on Vijay TV.
Indian Cultural Fiesta
The Indian New Year Celebrations was first initiated in the year 2010 when the various ethnic Indian communities in Singapore were brought together to showcase the multitude of Indian traditions, customs, heritage and practices.
Last year, a cohesive decision for a change of title was made. As the numbers of the associations that participated in the Indian New Year celebrations increased, more of them that do not celebrate their new year during March and April emerged.
The Indian New Year celebrations then evolved to the Indian Cultural Fiesta, where the celebrations are held for all the Indian ethnic communities to celebrate their rich cultures, ethnicities and traditions.
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