Ipoh (Malaysia), Oct. 14 : The Deepavali bazaar and celebrations in Ipoh’s Little India area will start today. Cultural shows will commence on Thursday.

According to Perak Executive Councillor A. Sivanesan, 86 stalls have been set up for the celebrations and the Deepavali bazaar will go on until October 25.

Local artistes will be performing daily from 7.30pm to 11.30pm in the cultural nights until October 25, reports the New Strait Times.

Sivanesan said Ipoh Timor MP Lim Kit Siang would launch the Deepavali celebrations at Little India.

A committee, consisting of state government officers and members of non-governmental organisations and traders’ associations, had decided to rent out the stalls to the same operators who took part in last year’s celebrations.

The stalls would be let out to traders once they have paid a fee of between RM200 and RM450. The fee is based on the location and size of the stall.

Last year, the stalls were rented out for between RM500 and RM1, 000.

Sivanesan said the committee estimated the stalls would yield a collection of some RM25, 000.

Part of the proceeds collected would be donated to the family of student S. Sathiah Devi, 23, whose mother and the family’s sole breadwinner died recently in Sitiawan. The balance will be used to build an arch in Little India, Sivanesan said. (ANI)