Much like Singlish and its rugged landscape, Singapore’s multi-racial, multi-cultural, and multi-religious heritage is something that takes time to fully comprehend. Like a collective of Asia’s biggest cultures, the Chinese, Malays, Indians, and Eurasians here form the backbone of the country’s identity – and so quintessential they are to our nation’s character that some of Singapore’s more popular tourist destinations today include Chinatown, Kampong Glam, and Little India; forming what many would call the beloved trio of cultural precincts in our country.

In wanting to deconstruct Singapore down to bite-sized pieces in hopes to inspire gutsier and more explorative travel experiences, one of the biggest dilemmas I had was with which neighbourhood to start this ball rolling. Most would hold their hands up for the Colonial Quarter – and they wouldn’t be wrong, for it is indisputably the biggest drawcard of Singapore’s tourism forefront. But in my mind, I’d always pictured doing this in a way that was more deeply personal than what you can get from a guidebook (deeply personal not just for me, but for you as an adventurer); and this entailed presenting to you a side of Singapore seen through a local’s eyes – my eyes; beginning from a part of Singapore that held most meaning for me.

Hailing from small-town Velankani nestled deep in the recesses of big-state Tamil Nadu, my father, born in 1947, was a first-generation immigrant from India. Accompanied with no one but his father, he marked his first step on Singapore soil at the cusp of adolescence, age 10. Over the years, he picked up both English and Malay (and spoke them both incredibly), graduated from a local high school, got his Singaporean citizenship, served in the national army; and at the age of 30, went against the central fabric of Indian society that was (and still is) heavily governed by castes and arranged marriages – and married my mother instead, who was, herself, a second-generation Chinese immigrant with a direct ancestral lineage to Fuzhou, China.

I never noticed it back then; but growing up in a Chinese-majority nation, I realize now that my father found many tiny ways to infuse his own culture into a home where he was outnumbered 4-1. He was the only Tamil speaker in the family, but India’s Sun TV would always be murmuring in the background like white noise whenever he was around – even as it lulled him to siesta on lazy, humid Sunday afternoons. He sang only Tamil songs, occasionally spoke Tamil to us knowing full well we didn’t understand him, turned my mom into a fairly decent South Indian cook- and as far as family outings go, we constantly found ourselves in the heart of this very district more times than was necessary in any single month. Perhaps it was his way of forging cultural togetherness in a home where cultural togetherness was as divergent as our fingerprints – but the result of all this subsconcious skillfully executed over a span of decades?

A child, realizing 15 years on, that she is more Indian than the world allowed her to believe.

Singapore’s Little India might be operatic in scale to the naked eye, but for me, it isn’t about its noisy colourful markets or its labyrinth of narrow streets packed so tight you might come across a Chinese Clan Association hidden between a fresh produce grocer and a crumbling food stall. For me, it is something more like coming home. Like a sliver of the real India, with a touch of Singapore that restores memories and lends comfort to the heart.

And amidst all its frenetic buzz and bustle, I hope it lends some to yours, too.

Set the Scene

Little India In 5 Words:
Colourful, Rich, Communal, Dizzying, Multi-Sensorial

Best Times to Visit:
The month of Deepavali (or Diwali), which is usually in October or November, sees the streets of Little India illminate with even more light and colours than it already has, with eyecatching overarching decorations to anchor the decorative aesthetic. Another festival worth noting if you happen to be in Singapore in January or February, is Thaipusam. It hasn’t happened since Covid, but traditionally, the festival sees a large and vibrant annual procession of devotees carry milk pots and wooden kavadis (ceremonial devices used for religious self mortification in Hinduism) between two temples located about 4km from each other, along with relatives and friends who chant hymns and prayers to support and encourage them. It’s really quite the spectacle, and if it’s back on, trust that it’s something you won’t want to miss.

Sleep Here: Boutique hotels underpin the accommodation scene at Little India. There is urban-contemporary Wanderlust, quiet and unassuming The Daulat – and right next to it, the very Wes Anderson-esque The Great Madras, a personal favourite of mine. If you’re travelling on a shoestring, these uber-cool pods don’t fall far behind in terms of design and style either: Vintage Inn Boutique Capsule, Spacepod@hive, Atlantis Pods @ Little India, and K Space Inn (there are two in the vicinity, so be sure you book the right one you need).

As far as chains go, there is a smattering of lower-tiered versions of the usual heavyweights, including Hilton Garden Inn and Park Royal (Kitchener Road) – although, personally speaking, if you’re looking for the usual chain experience, you’ll be better heading up towards the main city areas.

ADVENTURE FORTH

Little India In 5 Experiences:
1. Rise and shine for an experiential visit to Tekka Market, which officially marks the start of the Little India stretch and is one of the most prominent wet markets in Singapore.

2. Pop over to the House of Tan Teng Niah for a photo opp. You may recognize this as the quirkily vibrant and colourful shophouse that has been making its rounds on social media.

3. Take to the Streets. The Little India stretch is made up of plenty of small lanes and alleys filled with bustling minimarts, butcheries, emporiums, no-frills food establishments, and miscellaneous sundries shops; and the best way to maximise your experience is to simply zig and zag your way about, from Race Course Road through to Serangoon Road and every other street in between. Don’t forget to spot the many wall murals and art installations that casually pepper the district from start to finish; many of them draw inspiration from an incredible source of culture and history that forms the district’s past and present – and this walk will make for an insightful lesson into a vital part of Singapore’s heritage without it being excessively yawn-inducing.

4. Go mad at Mustafa Shopping Centre. This behemoth of a complex consists of two separate linked buildings that boast a total of 5 levels of expansive shopping space (3 storeys + 2 basement levels) packed with everything-but-the-kitchen-sink, and I’d like you to challenge yourself to walk in and come out empty-handed. Mustafa is not at all typical of a Singapore shopping mall; and regardless of your shopping preference, I highly urge a quick swing-in, no matter how short.

5. Eat. As far as community goes, Little India is likely one of your best bets in Singapore to get a true sense of the collective spirit. And the best way to do so, of course, is to lunch amongst the people. The hawker centre annexed to Tekka Market presents a kaleidoscopic selection of hawker eats that is guaranteed to electrify the senses; but if you need something less sensorially overwhelming, simply keep your eyes peeled when you’re doing #3. You won’t pass a street without running into a smaller, quieter, hole-in-the-wall food establishment, all of them typically armed with variations of the same offering with equally low prices.

Where to Get Touristy:
Life pulsates in all areas at Little India, so you’ll find vibrancy at every corner. But of course, do not miss Tekka Market for the immersion, House of Tan Teng Niah for that Instagram shot, and a peek at the Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple, the oldest Hindu temple in Singapore. If you’re looking for a museum-like experience of sorts to wrap up your visit here, pop in to the Indian Heritage Centre at Campbell Lane, where you will be greeted with exhibits and activities that promote awareness and an appreciation for the Indian heritage.

PICK A WILD CARD

An Under-the-Radar Spot to Try:
Sim Lim Square isn’t exactly the flashiest place in the district – in fact, it’s the exact opposite and may even leave you with a sense of distaste. But just in case you need to pick up anything electrical, this place will be your haven. From gadgets and devices to parts, accessories and even tech servicing if you need some, you’ll find exactly what you’re looking for here – often at just a fraction of the price.

A Peculiar Place to Cast Your Eyes:
If you stand at the junction where Owen Road crosses Serangoon Road (which is exactly on the opposite side of Centrium Square), you will see a blank slate of land before you. This land has a bit of a gritty history, in that it is the site of one of Singapore’s greatest post-war civil disasters, when a six-storey hotel collapsed to the ground in 1986 and left 33 people dead and 17 survivors trapped for up to six days under thick layers of rubble. It was a rescue effort that saw tunnelling experts from around the world work around the clock to cut through the debris in a careful, calculated way so as not to further compromise the wreckage; assisted by many others from all walks of life who came together to assist the mission in any way they could.

An immersive walking tour takes you through this bit of history today, and if you’re dying to find out more (and I assure you, there’s a juicy story behind this), start your plunge down the rabbit hole here.

I Know This Great Little Place:
Sat snug behind the folds of Little India is a neat little corridor of pre-war terraces known as the Petain Road Shophouses– which, between them, share more than a century’s worth of history dating as far back as the 1880s. Today, these well-preserved shophouses are one of the most picturesque clusters of shophouses left in Singapore – and just in case the Katong shophouse cluster is a little too far out of reach, these beautiful ones right within arm’s reach of Little India will definitely do just as nicely.

an INSIDER’S insight

What Do the Locals Get Up to Here?
Tekka Market is possibly the most celebrated mark for locals – it’s a one-stop grocery shopping spot for the freshest at the most competitive prices, and mornings find this spot at its most bustling. Mustafa Shopping Centre is also another crowd favourite on this front.

For food, a handful of restaurants along Race Course Road have garnered quite the cult reputation for some real good ol’ authentic Indian eats, and many of Singapore’s best briyanis can be found on this stretch.

Trickiest Part of Navigating Little India:
There is a lack of good washrooms in this area. Your best bet are the two malls that flank the start and end of Little India Precinct – Tekka Place Shopping Mall (that is adjacent to Tekka Market); and City Square, which is close to Mustafa Shopping Centre. Expect a nausea-inducing experience anywhere else – especially at the Little India train station.

What to Really Expect:
Most locals skip this area on Sundays where human traffic is at its highest; but of course, as a tourist, I would imagine that this would be the one day I would most enjoy experiencing Little India. Also, on a good weather day, expect to be thoroughly drenched if you’re a person of high metabolism. The Sun seems to burn a little brighter here*, so dress light, and bring a bottle of water with you.

*or more logically speaking, there are virtually no high-rises in this area, ergo no shadows for shelter ergo SCORCHING H-O-T.

The Locals Don’t Want You to Know About:
Swee Choon Dim Sum Restaurant, ironically located just at the cusp of Little India on 183-189 Jln Besar. It’s arguably one of the best dimsum restaurants in Singapore, and is perfect if you’re looking for an unadulterated feast-and-forage local hawker experience.

Cafe Hop Like A Local:
While Little India isn’t the place you go for a bustling cafe scene, a new wave of modish establishments are popping up and redefining the idea of eating in this precinct. The price tag is a little heavy at The Malayan Council but here, local and international flavours mingle for state-of-the-art, experimental cuisine; and over at Three’s A Crowd, the ice cream is stunningly tasteful with flavours that carry on the theme.

It’s personal

Favourite Childhood Memory
Tekka Market is uninspiring to most locals, but remains one of the most profoundly commemorative pieces of my childhood. It was a staple of my weekends, where both my sister and I would be dragged here by our mom for her weekly bulk grocery buying, and we would spend hours trudging behind her in reluctance as she bargained her way from one stall to the next. We hated the perpetually slippery and dirty floors, the crude smells that wafted into our noses and clung onto our clothes, the brutish bargaining, and just the overall grime of it all – but visiting it now, more then 25 years removed, I find myself fond of all these things we once hated. It is still imprinted to the tee in my memory, the exact route in which my mother would make her rounds, beginning from the butchers out on the front to the seafood mongers in the middle, after which things get slightly better as we move towards the less overwhelming parts of the market at the back where all the dry stuff like spices and condiments and root vegetables are. It is almost miraculous to me that 25 years on, the circuit remains the same. Only now, the fishy smells infuse a scent of familiarity, the slippery wetness an exciting jog to the memory – and the grittiness of it all? It’s magic, pure magic.

Guilty Pleasure Alert:
I find that I cannot come to Little India and not head straight up to the second floor of Tekka Market, where I would spend an inordinate amount of time weaving my way through the alleys of tailoring and accessory shops, ogling at the dazzling display of intricately detailed cholis and anakarlis and salwar kameezes and wishing I had a reason to buy every other masterpiece that steals my heart. Of course, knowing that I have nowhere to go or show up at in something this ornate, I usually just end up walking away empty-handed, miserably harbouring hope to be invited to a Diwali house gathering or or an Indian wedding or event of sorts – anything, really, to give me an excuse to flutter around in one of these unbelievably intricate pieces.

This Draws Me to Little India Every Time:
For obvious reasons, India is the one country in this world that I hold extremely close to my heart. What I love about Singapore’s Little India is how it perfectly encapsulates the feeling of being in India without actually being it. Of course, it’s nowhere near its sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and sheer expansiveness – but it holds its own weight and there is definitely something here that is just so… Incredibly India. And I relish it. I relish the days that I choose to spend here. I love the bustling markets and its India-sourced produce. I love the little stalls selling flower garlands for worship. I love the delectable smells of curries and spices, and I love the sweets shops – always so reminiscent of the southern India that I have come to know and love in my life.

There’s a reverence to this place, almost like an ode to its Motherland; and for this reason, I find myself yearning to return multiple times a year, if for nothing then to pretend that perhaps, I am in a snippet of the real thing.

Enjoy Little India, I know I did.

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