HELLO! SINGAPORE TOURS GUIDE TO LITTLE INDIA

Located at the junction of Serangoon Road and Bukit Timah Road, this is a multi-use building complex where visitors can find a wet market, food centre and shopping complex all rolled into one. Built on the site of the old Tekka Market, Tekka Centre is a good place to try out some great Indian food, such as briyani (an Indian spiced rice dish with meat or vegetables), piping-hot naans (an oven-baked flatbread), and Indian rojak (a sweet and savoury salad of vegetables, fruits and dough fritters). Shoppers can also head to Little India Arcade in the vicinity.

Address: 665 Buffalo Road

HELLO! SINGAPORE TOURS GUIDE TO LITTLE INDIA

Towards the middle of Serangoon Road stands this imposing temple dedicated to Kali, Hindu goddess and destroyer of evil. The temple was established in 1855, making it one of Singapore’s oldest houses of worship. Built by the Indian pioneers who came to live and work here, this Hindu temple was the first in the Serangoon area. Visitors are welcome to witness the pooja (daily prayer ceremony). Photography is allowed, though visitors must bear in mind that this is a place of worship, so basic respect and care is necessary so as not to disturb worshippers.

A close up view of the centre upper section of the temple

Address: 141 Serangoon Road
Tel: +65 6293 4634 / +65 6295 4538
Website: www.srivkt.org
Email: admin@srivkt.org
Opening Hours: Mon–Sun 5.30am–noon, 4–9pm

HELLO! SINGAPORE TOURS GUIDE TO LITTLE INDIA

Parallel to Serangoon Road, Jalan Besar is one of the oldest roads in Singapore. In recent years, Jalan Besar and the streets around it have become a hip enclave with a growing number of trendy boutiques, cafés, and restaurants. Coffee lovers can check out Chye Seng Huat Hardware, while foodies will love the baked goodies at The Butter Studio Crafters and hobbyists will find much to occupy them at The Refinery, which houses a yakitori (grilled meat on skewers) restaurant on the first floor, a bespoke cocktail bar on the second floor and a craft workshop on the third floor.

Jalan Besar - Shophouses

HELLO! SINGAPORE TOURS GUIDE TO LITTLE INDIA

Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple is one of Singapore’s oldest temples, dedicated to the Hindu deity, Sri Perumal, otherwise known as Lord Vishnu. While the structure of the temple standing today was built in the 1960s, the temple’s history dates back to the 1800s. The temple constructed in 1885 was called the Narasinga Perumal Temple but was later rebuilt and reinstated as the Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple. Since then, it has been declared a National Monument and has undergone various redevelopments and improvements.

Façade of Sri Srinavasa Perumal Temple in Little India

Today, visitors will see various brightly coloured carvings and statues of Lord Vishnu along with other Hindu gods and goddesses adorning the temple’s façade. Inside they will find well laid out sanctums and a pillared pavilion built for the worship of processional deities

Address: 397 Serangoon Road
Tel: +65 6298 5771
Website: sspt.org.sg
Email: sspt@heb.org.sg
Opening Hours: Mon– Sun 6.15am–noon, 6–9pm

HELLO! SINGAPORE TOURS GUIDE TO LITTLE INDIA

Dating from 1822, this is the backbone of Little India and is one of Singapore’s oldest roads. The road is packed with restaurants and shops selling everything from gold jewelry and trinkets to traditional Indian clothing, incense, and spices. Visitors who want affordable, but good Indian curry should try vegetarian restaurant Komala Vilas

View of the front facade of a row of colourful shophouses along Serangoon Road

HELLO! SINGAPORE TOURS GUIDE TO LITTLE INDIA

Open 24 hours, this one-stop mega shopping mall sells everything—a paradise for bargain hunters. Mustafa Centre is housed on six floors over a 37,161 sqm area. The sheer variety of items on sale is dizzying—from perfumes to wheelchairs to leather jackets, food items, sports shoes and everything else in between. There are six entrances: visitors are recommended to enter through Entrance 1 (on Syed Alwi Road), so they only have one direction to go.

Deepavali Light up at Mustafa Centre with crowd and cars parking alongside of the road

Address: 145 Syed Alwi Road
Tel: +65 6295 5855
Website: www.mustafa.com.sg
Email: mms786@mustafa.com.sg

HELLO! SINGAPORE TOURS GUIDE TO LITTLE INDIA

At its two-story building dating back to the 1920s, shoppers will find handicrafts, costume jewelry, souvenirs, Indian clothing, silks and so much more. If visitors get hungry while shopping, they can head over to the sweet shops along the area to sample a selection of Indian sweets and pastries. Travelers can also opt to get a henna tattoo done in one of the many shops within the building.

locals shopping for Saris at Little India Arcade.

Address: 48 Serangoon Road
Tel: +65 6295 5998
Website: www.littleindiaarcade.com.sg
Opening Hours: Mon–Sun 9am–10pm

HELLO! SINGAPORE TOURS GUIDE TO LITTLE INDIA

Little India has many cultural sights to behold but it is also peppered with stunning art murals that bring an artistic flair to the district. Many of the murals depict cultural symbolism specific to Little India. Some of them tell tales of the social and economic landscapes of the past and present as well.

Singaporean artists like Eunice Lim, SONG, Shah Rizal, TraseOne, street artist ZERO, Yip Yew Chong and well-known visual artist Speak Cryptic has also had a hand in adorning the neighbourhood’s facades with their work. Look out for ‘Kathaka’—the work of acclaimed Colombian graffiti artist, Didier Jaba Mathieu.

Travellers meandering through the streets of Little India will be able to uncover these picture-perfect gems. Visitors seeking out these murals can download a walking trail guide from www.artwalklittleindia.sg/walking-trail- guide

Mural Entitled "Layers" by Shah Rizzal .

“There is a story to every wall that is built. My job as a street artist is to uncover those stories.” -TraseOne,Street artist

TraseOne is highly regarded as one of the leading pioneers who is always pushing boundaries in the scene since 1999. What started as an adolescent hobby of just scrawling his name on the streets, Trase has evolved his approach in making art to create a more intellectual dialog of his work–most of which contain cleverly embedded subliminal messages. His work has won many awards in projects and exhibitions on the local and global platform.

Address: Various locations around Little India

HELLO! SINGAPORE TOURS GUIDE TO LITTLE INDIA

The Abdul Gafoor Mosque was built in 1910 to serve the religious needs of South-Indian Muslim merchants and syces who were settling down in Little India at that time. Its unusual symmetry and incorporation of Indian, Arabian and European influences in its architecture sets it apart from other mosques and it was gazetted as a National Monument in 1979.

Inside, visitors will find stained glass and Arabic calligraphy adorning its walls. In 2000, the mosque underwent various reconstructions to strengthen its foundations and converted its basement to support an air-conditioned prayer hall. It has since reopened and now accommodates up to 3,000 worshippers

Frontal shot of Masjid Abdul Gaffoor Mosque

Address: 41 Dunlop Street
Tel: +65 6295 4209 Fax: +65 6293 3486
Website: www.abdulgafoormosque.sg
Email: info@abdgafoor.mosque.org.sg
Opening Hours: Mon–Thu & Sat–Sun 10am–noon, 2–5.30pm; Fri 10am–noon, 3–5.30pm

LITTLE INDIA GUIDE TO THE BEST SINGAPORE MUSEUMS

The four-storey Indian Heritage Centre fuses traditional and modern architectural elements. Inspired by the stepwells in India, the unique glass façade is a large mirror by day and turns transparent at night to reveal a ‘glowing lantern’ of the façade’s colourful mural. The centre showcases Indian culture and history, and houses a permanent exhibition titled, ‘Indians in Singapore - Past & Present’. Through the displays and with the help of audio guides and augmented reality technology, visitors will discover connections between South Asia and Southeast Asia, and gain a better understanding of the Indian community in Singapore.

The centre also provides venues ideal for conducting events, seminars and workshops. Grab a Little India Heritage Trail booklet from its Visitor Services Counter and embark on three specially curated thematic routes around the Little India neighbourhood that features over 40 heritage sites. The trail is available till 8 July 2020

Address: 5 Campbell Lane Tel: +65 6291 1601
Website: www.indianheritage.org.sg
Email: nhb_ihc@nhb.gov.sg / IHC_GroupBooking@nhb.gov.sg
Cost: Adult S$6, Senior Citizen & Student S$4; Free admission for children under six
Opening Hours: Tue–Thu 10am–7pm; Fri–Sat 10am–8pm; Sun & Public Holidays 10am–4pm; Closed on Mon
Nearest MRT: Little India Station / Rochor Station