Singapore Heritage Fest 2013 @ Century Square:Monumental Weddings

I have heard of Singapore Heritage Fest before, but this is the first year I came across it.It is quite interesting to be there.

I accidentally saw the Singapore Heritage Fest in Century Square after my way back home from Library.There were many activities for Children and all those activities were planned in relation to the different races and their weddings. Luckily this event coincides with Racial Harmony Day where Singapore celebrates racial harmony.I was able to show the diverse culture of Singapore at the exhibit.The wedding dresses of different races were also there in the exhibition area and I was thrilled  to see all these things right in the middle of  a mall.

Malay Wedding dress

Indian Wedding dress

Chinese Wedding Dress

Eurasian Wedding dress

Some funny snaps with her friend Lakshu

I would have  to travel to a  museum or visit 4 different weddings if I have to see these wedding costumes. There were booths showcasing things from different cultures to try too.Arshi tried her hands on making paper cuttings,finished puzzle pieces as part of Chinese wedding.I had made the character meaning "Fu" in Chinese paper cutting that meant prosperity.

Character "Fu" meaning prosperity

We even learnt how to make Bunga Manggar, used for Malay weddings.

I have seen this one at several Malay weddings that used to happen at our blocks Void deck.Malay weddings usually interested me as there were so many colors and the decor were very unique and lovely.I loved the table decos and everything.They followed their own tradition .I loved the music that was played too.I could hear lot of Bollywood hits being played and one of friends told me that they love hearing Bollywood songs.During those occasions,I had always wondering about the significance of the Bunga Manggar.But Now I knew why.

We also made Wedding Corsages that are used for Eurasian Weddings.They were made out of real leaves and flowers.Myself and Arshi tried our hands on that and we wore them as brooches for that day.

Finally for Indian Weddings, Mehandi art was demonstrated and we too decorated our hands with the beautiful mehandi.

The exhibit area really impressed me a  lot.

I learnt to know about ancient wedding styles and how mass weddings took place during those period.I was fascinated to see many wedding portraits at unusual monuments.I never knew, these monuments had other side too in many people's life.Wedding portraitist at Tanjong Pagar Railway station was some thing unique.

The temple weddings like the ones that happened in Hindu temples too were shown in the exhibit.This type of weddings is quite common in India as well as Singapore and I made it a  point to take photos of such weddings in future if I chanced upon  any in the future.

I went through the 64 national monuments pics that are there in Singapore.I have seen only a  few as I had been to the monuments tour in the year 2011.So decided, I should try to cover other monuments too in the days to come.

I also came  to know that an enactment of South Indian Hindu Wedding was going to be staged that evening, I decided to come back with Arshi after a short relaxation in my house.We headed back to the mall  refreshed and I was really surprised to see a mini wedding decor amid st the busy mall.As I too hail from South India , I wanted to see how Weddings are conducted in Singapore.The casts were all dressed in their weddings costumes and the whole process of wedding were briefed to the audience  within 30 minutes.

The host for this occasion was Ananda Kannan, one of my favourite TV personality.

I also had a chance to greet him and got Arshi photograph with him.Arshi and her friend Lakshana danced to the wedding song with the troupe to my surprise

and finally everyone got  a chance to pose for group photographs which is actually done in a real wedding too.

Taking Arshi for  a second time on the same day was worth it.

This Sunday, I again had  to shop at Century Square and chanced to see the bride and groom on stilts.

They were roving around in the mall and greeting the shoppers.

Now I knew why National Heritage Board had chosen malls as one of their main locations for choosing to display their exhibits.It's where traffic is heavy during weekends and the chance of reaching out to the masses is high.There are many more activities too at Century Square next week and I am sure gonna take Arshi along with me  .I am also planning to visit City Square Mall -an exhibit is there as well ,this Friday when going to drop Arshi for her music class.Will share if I find the exhibits interesting .

The Singapore Heritage Fest 2013 is running in many parts of Singapore.
You can check out their website if you are interested to know more about this fest if you happen to reside in Singapore.
www.heritagefest.org.sg


Click    here  to read my blog post on The Swinging Sixties exhibit at Bugis Junction and here on "The Magical Moments" at City Square Mall.