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I still remember those days Lebuh Ampang was a beehive of local Indian community. Now its becoming a meeting place for foreign workers. Areas around Masjid Jamek has been hijacked and turned in Ramadan Bazaar few years back. When Hari Raya and Deepavali came in the same month (happens every 30 odd years once and 3 years in a row) few years back, the Deepavali traders were relocated to Brickfields. At that time, there were some commotion and problems, but of course we have no say, and had to move to Brickfields area.

So, now Brickfields is planned (is it in KL 2020 City plan?) to be Little India. Good for them. Another “WILL” which will take ages to materialise, if at all it does.

Najib also supported the proposal to develop Brickfields into a “Little India”.

“Brickfields is a unique place because it is a microcosm of the Indian community,” he said, adding that in the past the Government had acquired three pieces of land in the area from Tenaga Nasional Bhd to erect Hindu temples.

“We will continue to develop this area. It is important for us to be one,” he said.

Earlier, Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Zulhasnan Rafique said Brickfields had a 100-year history and suggested that it should be developed into a Little India like those in Vancouver, London and Paris.

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The controversial Deepavali celebrations at Ipoh Little India was launched on Friday by Lim Kit Siang. At the same time, a nationwide campaign calling for the ban on the Hindraf movement to be lifted.

Lim Kit
Siang urged traders and patrons of
Little India to mark this year’s Deepavali celebrations with a
unified voice condemning the ban.

But there’s no mention on who organised the campaign. DAP? Pakatan Rakyat? Perak state?

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How much does one spend for Deepavali? Clothes, prayer items, raw material for food/cookies, decorations, firecrackers (legal ones), house cleaning/painting (once every few years?), travelling back to home town, angpow for kids, etc. How much would it cost? RM500? RM1000? RM2000? RM5000? As for me, Deepavali has always been a low-key affair. So, most expenses will originate from Then.

Looking at the article from the NST, one “in-fashion” punjabi suit going for RM200, imagine if you have to buy 2 or 3 for your siblings, girlfriend, wife etc. I guess clothing is the single biggest cost for Deepavali

I was in Klang twice in October (and I think another 2 trips are in order if going by Then’s calculation). The crowd was less. I went on first day of Raya evening and also last Saturday night. Maybe the crowd is waiting for the last few days for better bargains.

The looming financial crisis has not dampened the spirit to shop for sarees and salwar kameez this Deepavali.
While saree shop owners admit that the Deepavali crowd in the Brickfields and Masjid India areas is a bit slow this time, they are still confident the cash registers will start ringing soon enough.

Women were still coming in for the latest Anarkali salwar kameez made popular by actress Aishwariya Rai, said Jothika Collections owner Thilagavathi Supramaniam.

“The Anarkali suit is the in-thing this Deepavali,” she said.

“Even though it is pegged at RM200 and more per suit, there is no shortage of buyers,” she said, adding that they were largely popular among the young crowd.

The Anarkali, designed with an empire line, boasts a traditional Moghul-style that has been revived with a contemporary look made popular via Bollywood and comes in classic colour combos — green with red and pink with grey.

The dinner saree is also a best-seller. Those who can afford to buy such premium products were not really affected by the dampened economy, said Thilagavathi.

“Sales for the lower range of sarees and salwar kameez are slightly down, but we have a steady stream of customers for our exclusive sarees like the dupion silk, brasso, traditional silk and sequined chiffon laser ones which come in vibrant colours.”

The prices for these sarees, range from RM120 to RM900 each.

“When Deepavali comes around, everyone wants to own at least one new outfit.”

So, the community is still spending money while the economy is in turmoil. Yeah, its once a year affair, so I rather not complain much. We hope that there’s enough left to cover for next few months.

So, how to be more prudent this Deepavali? Less clothes? Less food? Less travelling? Smaller open house?

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