Istana - the palace

To celebrate the National Day on 9 Aug, it is timely for me to post a sketch of the Istana on National Day eve. The Istana which means Palace in Malay is the official residence of the President of Singapore. The place is open for five occasions only in a year to the public on the Chinese Lunar New Year, Indian Deepavali, Malay Hari Raya Puasa, Labour Day and the National Day. Last Sunday I visited the place it was open to celebrate the upcoming National Day.

The main building or the government house, the national flag and the cannon are the main icons in this sprawling Istana compound of over 100 acres. I excluded the crowd to give the place its sense of saintliness and significance.

Happy 44th National Day Singapore!