Namaste Bharat, Deepavali festive edition 2024, promises to be a fun-filled lifestyle exhibition for the entire family.
To be held at Suntec Singapore (halls 401 and 402) from Oct 4 to 6, it will have the best of Indian culture, contemporary arts, traditions, cuisine, couture, handcrafted goods and innovative products.
There will also be yoga classes, Bollywood dance workshops and fashion, photography and craft events.
Supported by the High Commission of India, the festival will be a platform for exhibitors to connect with potential business partners and consumers.
The highlight is the diverse cuisine offerings – ranging from street food and royal recipes to Ayurveda inspired wellness food and modern Indian fusion creations.
The Millet Pavilion, sponsored by American company Sorghum United, will present the spirit of Indian agriculture and the nutritious value of the oat grain.
Another novel element is the women-entrepreneur booths, where 20 women entrepreneurs from Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi and Bhopal will feature handcrafted items.
A collaboration with GIG International School will provide opportunities for students to take part in different competitions.
Different community groups, such as Maharashtra Mandal Singapore, Soorya Singapore, Bengali Association, Telangana Cultural Society, Sindhi Society, Telugu Samajam and Singapore Malayali Association, are supporting Namasate Bharat.
On Oct 4, from 11am to 3pm, women can take part in the Haldi Kumkum ceremony, which is traditionally a social gathering in India where married women exchange haldi (turmeric) and kumkum (vermilion powder) as a symbol of their married status and to wish long lives upon their husbands.
The festival will also have Golu, where dolls and figurines are displayed during Navaratri.
Dignitaries from different walks of life will take part in the festival, including food and nutrition specialist Khader Valli, known as the Millet Man who advocates the consumption of millets to control lifestyle diseases like diabetes and hypertension, and actress Bhagyashree, the brand ambassador for Namaste Bharat.
“We will be ringing in the festive spirit of Navaratri and Deepavali with Namaste Bharat, which will give people in Singapore the opportunity to buy their traditional Indian goodies and dresses,” said Ms Purnima Kamath, founder of De Ideaz, which is organising the event.
