The month of August in Singapore is very significant. First there's the National Day or the Independence day which I missed due to unavoidable circumstances. Second ,its the Chinese Hungry Ghost festival and the third reason being its the fasting month for the Muslims! Hailing from India, I am not new to the culture of Islamism. Yet the Islamic or Malay culture in Singapore is somehow different from that existing in India. Eidil Fitri, or Hari Raya Puasa as it is known in Singapore is what is Ramzan or Id-ul fitri in India. The Malay words ‘Hari Raya' means 'Day of Celebration' or the ‘Festival of Breaking the Fast'. Fasting first, Feasting next!
Every year during the month of Ramadan, the Geylang Serai or the Malay Village which reflects the traditional Malays of olden times buzzes with activity with street bazaars and food stalls. Most of the Muslims gather here so it is always filled with large crowds. The street bazaars and night market are called ‘ pasar malam '. You can buy carpets, clothes, accessories, traditional Malay clothes, all for a great bargain!
After work , my colleagues and I headed towards our destination anticipating a lot of crowd , food and fun.After having planned this for 2 weeks I was pretty excited. A wide variety of food was being sold at the bazaar along the stretch of the street. It's a food haven! With lot of hungry people brushing past you , some pushing you , it felt like a 'mela' where I could get lost.. During the night, the whole place was lit up with glittering lights and decorations.
Kueh -mueh (Malay cakes and pastries), buns, breads, curry, noodles and delicious curry puff pastries and a variety of Biryanis and finger food! The list barely scratches the surface!
Food that a vegetarian (like me) can enjoy in Geylang Serai:
Kathira, milk-based drink in different flavours
Potato Fritters
Banana Fritters
Jackfruit Fritters(Cempadak )
Biryani without any meat
Malay version of 'Vadai'
Desserts and cakes like keuh Keuh
The excitement somehow died down due to the heat and the hustle bustle . As the stalls are along the street all you do is walk in the crowd and munch all the way buying more and more food. Sure gets tiring! If you think Little India is crowded then you sure will have a change of mind once you visit the Geylang Serai! A good experience.
P.S : If you intend to go to Geylang Serai(before 28th of Aug), kindly wear summer clothes. The heat even after the dusk could give you a stroke! No wonder they call Singapore ' the air-conditioned island' , noone would have survived in the country without the 'aircon'!
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| Ramadan in singapore originally uploaded by the fallen angel |
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| Turkish/ Arab Carpets originally uploaded by the fallen angel |
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| glittering lights at the Geylang Serai originally uploaded by the fallen angel |
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| Malay delicacies- how can u not drool? originally uploaded by the fallen angel |
Kathira, milk-based drink in different flavours
Potato Fritters
Banana Fritters
Jackfruit Fritters(Cempadak )
Biryani without any meat
Malay version of 'Vadai'
Desserts and cakes like keuh Keuh
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potato and banana fritters originally uploaded by the fallen angel |
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| jackfruit fritters originally uploaded by the fallen angel |
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| original Indian Vadai? Nah! originally uploaded by the fallen angel |
P.S : If you intend to go to Geylang Serai(before 28th of Aug), kindly wear summer clothes. The heat even after the dusk could give you a stroke! No wonder they call Singapore ' the air-conditioned island' , noone would have survived in the country without the 'aircon'!
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