Deepavali @ Little India 2011

Little India, Klang (or Jalan Tengku Kelana) has always been made synonymous with traffic jam, especially around Deepavali. With that, I have been told to stay out of the area during the Hindu festive season and through these years, it has never occurred to me that this tourist attraction may be worth a visit for its cultural value - even though it's only less than five minutes away from my house.

This year however, I was made to make a debut trip to Little India during the festive season, not just to experience and try to understand the Deepavali culture at Little India, but also to complete my photojournalism assignment. Honestly, I was very afraid to even think that it's possible to complete my mission, partly due to many negative insights I received from my fellow Indian friends, mostly on personal safety. But for the most part, I didn't have confidence because of my amateurish photography skill.

Read on to learn about my insights of Little India from the three visits on the three days leading up to Deepavali Eve. A write-up on my first visit two weekends before Deepavali, entitled Prime Minister's Visit to Little India 2011, can be found on this blog.

JH and I camwhoring while waiting for the PM to arrive on October 15, 2011.

Day 1 (October 23, 2011) - I found Little India full of festive spirit as everybody filled up the streets to prepare for the most celebrated Hindu festival in Malaysia. Little India during non-festive season is already jam packed with many Indian shops selling everything you need for Deepavali. Thus, when festive vendors came flocking in with stalls along the sidewalks, allies, both sides of the two-way street and up the road divider, the choices were bedazzling. It seemed to me that shopping at Little India was not just a Deepavali preparation, but rather part of the celebration. It was full of life, colours, culture and everything pretty.

The kids excitedly set off firecrackers for me to photograph! In the background,  the road was free flowing towards the town but jammed up towards Little India.

Many people were startled by my presence at first but later welcomed me =)

These two kids were very happily playing until they saw me taking photo of them. Bi said they turned pale in a snap. LOL.

Bi enjoying a little shopping while pulling funny faces XP

We tried the masala milk a.k.a. the must-try drink at Little India. We heard it is super sweet but lucky for us, the sugar subsided at the bottom of the drink. It was not bad.

These two guys posed for a photo voluntarily. Bi said the guy on the right dropped his cigarette the instance he saw me taking photograph. LOL.

Day 2 (October 24, 2011) - After the welcoming visit on the first day, I was really excited to explore more on the second night. I was definitely more comfortable to approach people and start conversations with them as they also appeared friendlier towards me - a couple of them could recognize me from the night before! The crowd however, was not as big as the first night, probably because it was a rainy Monday night. Nevertheless, Little India lived up to the great impression it set on the first night.

Pe, who lived in India for 3 years, just knew what would go best with nasi briyani. When he requested for the above sour soup (I forgot the name), the waiter was surprised at the request because it was not in the option list. LOL.

Deepavali is the Festival of Lights but ironically, Little India was not decorated with lights at all. Instead, the street was decorated with balloons by Digi two days before (that later were all destroyed during the  heavy rain on Deepavali Eve) =_='"

Pe was working hard to practice his photography skills and was hoping to get some shots for his photography assignment.

Gloomy clown anyone? Haha. I think he may be irritated by me because I kept pestering him with questions although he seemed reluctant to respond. His name is Bumba!

He was trying to capture a reflection on the mirror without being in the frame (trying to hide behind some wooden panel), thus the funny pose.

Day 3 (October 25, 2011) - It was a rainy night again. I reached Little India later than usual but it was only half the capacity of the nights before (judging from the number of parking lots available). I was disappointed and upset because I was told that night would be the peak - the most happening of all nights; vendors could operate until the wee hour of the morning from the continuous stream of visitors. Everyone hoped the rain would stop and the crowd would flood in.

And soon enough, wish was granted. Little India was insane crowded with people of all walks of life. The streets were not just congested with people, but motorists as well because the roads were not blocked unlike the days before. There was quite a commotion also when police officers came seizing firecrackers from vendors who have been doing business openly for the past days. Then when the clock struck midnight, major shops were competing with one another to set off fireworks and firecrackers at the middle of the busy street. It was very boisterous and eventful of course. But very dangerous at the same time. Two girls almost had their hair set on fire when one of the firecrackers reflected towards the crowd.

I have always wondered how the vendors were selling firecrackers so publicly although there were police patrolling pretty frequently. When I saw the crowd around the firecracker stall, instinct told me to step back for safety. The commotion ended with the crowd opening the police van and taking back the seized firecrackers by force, after putting the authority in a stall for a couple of minutes.

There was this row of 21 flower stalls at one end of Little India and the air there smelled chrysanthemum =)

Little India was this crowded with visitors at late night. It was no wonder that cars were stalled along the street. Wondered why the roads were not blocked, like the previous days. During countdown, the crowd more than doubled.

With that, my words to people who are interested to drop by at Little India around Deepavali: if you are not up for the crazy crowded Little India during the Deepavali Eve, or you are more interested to shop around and have an easy stroll, visit Little India early after sunset on a few days before the celebration.

Trivia: Little India welcomed me with smiley kids on the first night and bid we farewell on the last night with a run over (on the foot only) by a 4WD. LOL! It happened right before exiting Little India. Cars were stalled and the streets were congested. Just as I stepped my right foot forward to cross the crowded street, an unsuspecting car moved. I stopped in time but did not pull back my right foot so the front wheel rolled over the front half of my foot. This may sound comical but following was the string of things that ran through my mind during that incident:

1. Did the car just roll on my foot?
2. Will it roll over my other foot as well?
3. Oh wait. I think it just stopped right on my foot.
4. Should I pull back my leg? Or is it better (less damaging) to keep it still?
5. Let me see if my leg is still functioning. *wiggle toes*
6. Ooh~ The tyre's soft.
7. Whoa... I have a 4WD on my foot but it's not as painful as I thought it could be.

I heard somewhere that our mind thinks seven times faster than we speak so divide by seven the time it takes for you to complete the list above. That's probably the duration I was indulged in intrapersonal communication before KL, who was with me that night, realized what happened and asked the driver to move back. When I saw KL panicking, I was snapped out of my lines of thoughts and suddenly felt the weight increasing on my foot. I twitched a little bit out of pain, before signaling the driver to move back. At the same time, I realized passersby noticed too and were helping me to let the driver know what happened. But no worries, I escaped with only very tiny bruises and a little pain for a short moment. I could walk and drive immediately after getting the wheels off my foot. And I just can't stop smiling, giggling and laughing every time I think back of the incident. I'm quite a joker with myself huh?