The Istana Open House

October 1 was a public holiday in Singapore in observance of Hari Raya Puasa, the end of the month of Ramadan on the Islamic calendar. Called Eid ul-Fitr in other cultures, the name used here is the Malay term. It means Celebration Day of Fasting.

To help commemorate the day, the official residence of the President of Singapore held an open house. Called The Istana (Malay for "palace"), it is the local equivalent of the White House. Except for 5 days each year, the place is buttoned up like Ft. Knox, so this was an opportunity not to be missed.

Admission to the grounds was free to Singaporeans and permanent residents. Foreigners paid $1. The optional tour inside the actual building was an extra $2. All admission proceeds and revenues from the sale of Istana-branded souvenirs go to the Community Chest charity. Pretty neat idea.

We didn't have the run of the place of course. There were armed guards everywhere and the activity was centered around the fairway of the 9-hole golf course. The gardens are beautiful and provided plenty of photo opportunities. Some families were having mini-picnics on the grounds.

The tour in the building was interesting and unfortunately, no photos were allowed. Some nice paintings and figurines (gifts presented to the President and Prime Minister) were on display. Among these was a nice collection of decorative animals which were very similar to ones that Raye had in our kitchen back in Plano. We got to see the rooms used for State receptions and other official functions. You can read more about the building itself on the official Istana web site. The open house link has some photos of what's inside.



The next public holiday is October 27 for the Hindu holiday of Deepavali (also called Diwali) -- the Festival of Lights.