Crowds throng Little India for grand Deepavali celebration

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THE streets of Little India in Ipoh Old Town literally came alive, to celebrate Deepavali as stalls were set up to offer various wares and gifts.

The stalls attracted large crowds as bargain hunters looked for last-minute purchases in preparation for the festival.

Besides stalls selling the latest Bollywood hits, there were also stalls selling saree, tidbits, biscuits and muruku.

In rhythm: Dancers performing the peacock dance which enthralled the audience.

When night fell, crowds converged at a public square in Little India to listen to renditions of their favourite Tamil songs and be entertained by stage performances including peacock dance, traditional Indian dance and a firework display.

The grand Deepavali celebration, organised for the 19th year, filled the otherwise quiet area during the night with a spirit of revelry.

Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir, who opened the event on Monday evening, had a walkabout around the area after the launch.

“The response to the celebration and stalls is encouraging, judging from the thousands of people here,” he said.

Greetings: Dr Zambry (center) shaking hands with the people along Little India.

After watching the stage performances, Dr Zambry announced an allocation of RM100,000 for the Ipoh Barat MIC division to expand the stage area.

“With a larger area, the community can hold activities and performances on a bigger scale, which will attract more tourists to Little India,” he said.

Also present at the event were Perak MCA secretary Datuk Tan Chin Meng, Ipoh Barat Umno division chief Datuk Shamsuddin Abd Ghaffar and Ipoh city council secretary Datuk Abdul Rahim Md Ariff.