Bazaar-goers have no shortage of alternatives these days, from Our Tampines Hub to Woodlands and Suntec City, but as Kurt Ganapathy finds out, Geylang Serai is still very much the place to be in the lead-up to Hari Raya Puasa.
Walking around the Ramadan Bazaar in Geylang Serai, you’d be forgiven for thinking you were in the midst of an advertisement for Singapore.
While at its heart, the bazaar remains a place to seek out Ramadan and Hari Raya essentials – from spiffy new songkoks to Islamic wall art and a well-deserved Ramly burger at the end of a day of fasting – it is a meeting place like few others.
As you squeeze your way through its alleys, you quickly realise that the faces you see represent a true cross-section of this country.
Diverse groups of students have the time of their lives, taking their pick from food that can be classic or created for the ’gram.
Older couples brave the crowds for an outing, joining young families as they browse the wares offered by traders from across the Islamic world.
Foreign workers and a handful of intrepid tourists take in the spectacle, soaked in a distinct deluge of light and sound.
It’s never a bad thing to have more options, but Geylang Serai truly has it all. Selamat Hari Raya!
Photography: Kurt Ganapathy
Curation: Arman Shah
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