Exploring Singapore's Vibrant Little India
For older travellers Singapore is an ideal city in Asia to visit. Although it is busy, it is also safe and clean. There are accommodation options to suit all budgets, it has an excellent MRT system and taxis are inexpensive. Aside from shopping and eating there are plenty of other attractions to entertain you.
Although Singapore can be visited anytime, it has an equatorial climate with typically hot and humid temperatures. However, I have always found January and February a good time to visit when temperatures are slightly cooler.
Singapore has a diversity of neighbourhoods so it is worth allowing enough time to explore and experience some of these fascinating districts, as each area brings a sense of history and cultural diversity to delight and engage tourists. And none more so than Little India where a potpourri of sights, sounds, colours, flavours and aromas are waiting for you.
Serangoon Road
Serangoon Road, the main thoroughfare passing through Little India, was made famous in 2013 in a 10-part drama TV series, titled ‘Serangoon Road.’ It was a collaboration between the Australian Broadcasting Commission and HBO Asia. A detective series, it is set in the mid 1960’s when Singapore was experiencing a time of political and social upheaval after the British left and Singapore was emerging as a new nation.
Old shop lots along Little India’s Serangoon Road. Image: © Sing Studio
Today, as you walk down Serangoon Road and explore its neighbouring streets you will be met with a profusion of colourful shophouses selling all manner of goods, street artistry, wonderful aromas from family run kitchen eateries with their outdoor tables and plastic chairs, women shopping in colourful saris, and an eclectic mix of temples, a church and a mosque. What caught my eye many times was the beauty of the red, yellow and orange garlands of flowers that decorate shop fronts. The sights and sounds of bustling, lively Little India can lead you to wonder if you are actually in India.
The Early Years
For an introduction to Little India, a good starting point is a visit to the Indian Heritage Centre in Campbell Lane, just off Serangoon Road. It offers a valuable glimpse into the lives of the early pioneers and the migration history of those who made their home in Singapore. There are special exhibitions and interactive opportunities with the permanent exhibition spread through five galleries. It is a broad documentation of the complexities of Indian migration. For senior tourists there is a small entry fee and guided tours are available. However, the museum is closed on Mondays as we unfortunately found out, so we had to return the following day.
Temples, Mosques and Churches
Situated in the heart of Little India is one of the oldest temples in Singapore, the prominent and colourful Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple located at 141 Serangoon Road. Spiritual home of the Hindu community this temple was of great importance to the early immigrants as it became a focus of their Indian social cultural activities. With its beautifully ornate, colourful façade of six tiers of statues and deities, it is a popular photo stop for tourists and locals. Inside, the temple is just as intriguing.
Inside the beautifully ornate Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple. Image: © monticello
The National Heritage Board of Singapore has designed a walking tour — the Little India Heritage Trails - Walk of Faiths tour highlighting the many temples, mosques and churches and the diversity of religious practices scattered throughout Little India. The tour, a 2.6 km self-guided walk which we completed in just over an hour, is an interesting look at the diversity of architectural styles of these places of worship.
Art Illustrates Life
The former house of Tan Teng Niah at 37 Kerbau Road is a must see. Built in 1900 by a Chinese businessman reportedly for his wife, it is a Chinese villa that exudes the colours of the rainbow and is the last of its kind in Little India. It stands out as a work of artistic creativity and in 1991 the restoration of this villa received a Singapore Institute of Architects Honourable Mention award. Absolutely worth a photo stop.
Wandering the streets of Little India, it’s worth taking the time to explore the many murals that are splashed across walls and back alleys as you will find a visual portrayal of the historical and contemporary life of the Indian community. Colourful, bold, eye catching art, it brings to life the spirit of the culture. Definitely Instagrammable!
Many of the old buildings are painted in rainbow colours. Image: © Lee You Tung
Artwalk Little India offers a comprehensive programme of performances in traditional and contemporary dance and music while also offering experiences such as storytelling, street art walking tours, Bollywood Zumba and, essential to understanding India culture, taste-testing tours.
Shop Till You Drop!
Where does your shopping spree start in this precinct? It’s hard not to be overwhelmed by the amount of street traders, markets, shops, arcades and malls all with any number of delightful and enticing gifts and souvenirs for even the most jaded traveller.
Why not start at The Little India Arcade at 48 Serangoon Road. Dating back to the 1920s the arcade has been renovated to retain the essence and history of yesteryear. A closer inspection reveals a busy cluster of arcade shops where you might find that special bargain. Bric-a-brac, colourful fashions including beautiful saris and embossed bags, handicrafts with a distinctive Indian flavor, and gold jewellery are just some of the temptations in these eclectic shops.
Souvenirs and colourful handicrafts on sale in Little India. Image: © Sing Studio
However, if you are looking for the option of shopping around the clock, the Mustafa Centre, on Syed Alwi Road is Little India’s 24-hour shopping mall. The Mustafa Centre boasts an extensive range of over 300,000 items with competitive prices, so if you can’t find what you are looking for anywhere else in the city you are likely to find it here. With a mix of locals and tourists it can become extremely busy, especially on weekends. And if you want to haggle — go ahead.
The National Heritage Trail has put together a one-kilometre walking tour titled: ‘Little India Heritage Trail - Shop Till You Drop!’ It includes the Jothi Store & Flower Shop — popular with the local Indian community -- which is overflowing with colourful hanging garlands, herbal products, religious items and kitchen utensils.
Aromas from the Kitchen
As you wander the streets of Little India you will notice many eating places that will offer you an authentic dining experience — just follow the aromas wafting out of the kitchens and sample the many dishes on offer.
The Tekka Centre, at 665 Buffalo Road (once a cattle trading area in the 19th and 20th century), is a three-in-one complex housing a shopping centre, a lively wet market and a large food court where you are spoilt for choice. In this environment, laden with a range of competing aromas, an extensive range of menus from North and South India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, China and Malaysia is available. Such a wide selection of choices will tempt even the most discerning diners and it’s all very reasonably priced.
A food court at the Tekka Centre in Little India. Image: © ZDL
In Chander Road, the Gandhi Restaurant’s popularity can be measured by the predominantly Indian crowd lined up waiting to dine or for takeaway — always a good sign when choosing an eatery. Although the restaurant is basic, the food is South Indian fare and the prices are excellent. Popular choices are the chicken and mutton curries which will arrive on banana leaves with rice and vegetables on the side. Nothing ostentatious here, just mouthwatering home cooked authentic Indian food — although when a waiter advises the curry is not hot, remember to take the advice with caution!
The Green Leaf Café in Cuff Road offers an extensive Indian vegetarian menu at very reasonable prices. This café is one of my favourites because the owners are passionate about their philosophy of eating natural foods. They believe they have a social responsibility to serve vegetarian food to support the wellbeing of their diners to reduce the risks of chronic diseases. Check out their extensive vegetarian menu and try some of their Indian vegetarian specialties such as their mixed vegetable masala or their ‘Chetti Nadu’ vegetable curry. Top it off with a sweet dumpling for dessert!
Colourful, bold, energetic, and diverse, Little India is all this and more. Walk the streets, browse in bazaars, sample the cuisine, soak up the atmosphere, but whatever you do, don’t miss Little India.
Header image: © DoublePHOTO Studio
