Walking Tour

Our tour starts here at the main bus-stop on Serangoon Road in front of Zhujiao Centre, which we will return to at the end of this tour. You are standing on Serangoon Road, one of the oldest roads of Singapore. In fact, this road was marked on ancient maps as "The Road Through the Island".

One story of how the road got its name tells how villagers who wanted to travel on the road brought gongs with them to scare away the wild animals. Hence, the Malay phrase "di-serang dengan gong" or to scare away with gongs.

Those who didn't follow the practice probably never lived to speak of their regrets, or so say some people.

Across the bus-stop you can see Little India Arcade. This cluster of shophouses was conserved in 1982 and later turned into this bustling shopping haven.

Look out for Handlooms, a sari shop supported by the Government of India. Taking a closer look at the more elaborate fabrics, you will see real gold and silver threads woven into them. You may even wish to purchase the sari fabric to be tailored into modern dresses. Enter from the Serangoon Road entrance and you'll see a confectionery selling traditional Indian sweets and snacks. Try snacks like gulam jamun, cream cheese balls in syrup.

In the arcade you'll also find Ayurvedic medicine shops. Ayurvedic medicine ("Ayus"= life and "veda"= knowledge) or the "Science of Life" is a very ancient Indian medicinal practice. You can buy some of these traditional remedies which are used for different ailments from haemorrhoids to rheumatism. Ayurvedic Remedies at No. 5 sells some of the traditional medicines.

Look out for the paan wallah or betel nut seller with his betel leaves piled high. Mildly narcotic, betel nuts are believed to be good for the digestive system. Pieces of betel nuts, chopped fine or coarse, are mixed with lime paste and sometimes other spices. They are then rolled up in a betel leaf, popped into the mouth and chewed.

Don't forget to walk into the many Indian craft shops and booths to discover the exciting mix of carvings, sculptures, brassware and artifacts. Pause to admire the Hindu images while shopping for pretty drapes and covers for your home.

A must visit is the special Cultural Corner of Little India Arcade for old pictures of Serangoon Road, a video of the exotic sights and sounds and an impressive showcase exhibits of Little India. Discover there the meaning of the red dot Indian women place on their foreheads and the reason Indian children wear bangles. Related cultural story booklets are also available at GGS Publications, Books and Stationery at #01-03 Little India Arcade or the Asian Women's Welfare Association at No. 9 Norris Road.

Walk to the end of the Arcade and leave by the Clive Street exit. Turn left and walk to the next junction. Turn to the left again. The street you are standing on now is Campbell Lane. Named after Sir Colin Campbell who was a British administrator, this was where cows were slaughtered for beef. This activity was done by Indian Muslims as cows are considered sacred to Hindus. Walk down the narrow footways and discover shops packed with Indian furniture, carvings in wood and brass as well as musical instruments. At Celebration of Art, along Campbell lane, ask to see furniture made using inlay marquetry. In this technique, a piece of furniture, usually made from rosewood is inlaid with 6 types of wood. Along with the Indian musical instruments, books on how to play the instruments are also available.

About Flower Shops
Look out for vividly colourful flower shops selling garlands and fresh flowers. Flowers play an important role in the Indian way of life as they are a symbol of prosperity. Watch the garland-makers deftly weave their red, yellow and white flower creations from roses, marigolds and the flower of happiness, jasmine. These colours are especially significant as they symbolise love, peace and purity respectively.

On Tuesdays and Fridays, the Hindu holy days, are honoured with simple strands of flowers. But on religiously significant days, more elaborate strands are ordered and placed on the deities in the temple and at home. It is common to see single and married ladies adorn their hair with flowers. A widow however, is not allowed to wear flowers as she is expected to remove ornaments and other items that beautify her.

In Hindu culture, people are garlanded as a show of respect and welcome. Interestingly, men usually garland men, and women garland women except when the couple is married. Then the husband garlands his wife and vice versa.

From Campbell Lane, turn right into Serangoon Road and walk along the five-foot ways until you reach Dunlop Street.

Pop into the different provision and textile shops along this road. You'll find not just staples such as rice and sugar but also a curious variety of products ranging from special Indian cosmetics such as kohl, henna dyes (for decorating the hands) and perfumed oils, to terracotta pots for cooking curries. Walk further down and you will see an interesting mix of textile and Indian dress shops.

About Dunlop Street
Dunlop Street is another road with a European name that you can find in Little India. In the 1840s, it was a private road that led from Serangoon Road to the private residence of Mr A E Dunlop, the Inspector-General of Police. His residence has since vanished and the road has been taken over by rows of shophouses. Infact, this used to be a bustling open-air vegetable street market leading to the mosque further down the road.

At the junction of Dunlop Street and Clive Street, you can either make two left turns to the food joints in Upper Dickson Road or detour and walk down Dunlop Street to the next two stop-points - the Abdul Gaffoor Mosque and The Church of True Light.

Keep walking down Dunlop Street for another 10 minutes and you'll find on your right the Abdul Gaffoor Mosque, one of Singapore's 32 national gazetted monuments.

While most Indians are Hindus, some follow the Muslim faith. On Fridays, many will congregate here for prayers. Originally a wooden structure built on land leased by Shaik Abdul Gaffoor bin Shaik Hyder in 1859, the mosque was rebuilt in brick in 1910. It now features a glass cupola, and an unusual blend of Arabic and Renaissance Architecture.

When entering grounds of worship, make sure your legs are covered to the ankles and remember to take off your shoes. Note that only worshippers are allowed to enter the prayer hall. For more details on the mosque look out for the information cards available at the premise.

Just behind the mosque, you're welcome to join the friendly people at a little snack shop selling Indian Muslim snacks such as samosas and vadas. Take a short break and enjoy a cup of iced teh-tarik, "hand-pulled tea" or teh halia.

Open only on Saturdays and Sundays between 9 am to 1 p.m., this 1951 Anglican church served the Chinese community of Hock Chew and Hinghwa descent in Little India. Walk all the way up the stairs and you'll find a unique sanctuary with a huge Chinese ideogram for the word "love" above the altar. Note the Bible verses in Chinese painted onto the pillars and walls. Interestingly, the names of donors of the pews are inscribed at the base of the kneelers. Please note that the church is currently undergoing renovation and will re-open in May 2000.

Leaving the church, turn right and walk towards Dickson Road. Along the way, don't miss the shrines at the foot of a sacred banyan tree wrapped with an orange sash.

As you encounter the countless North Indian and South Indian speciality restaurants along the way, you'll know why Little India is reputed for good food. Here at Upper Dickson Road, there are a number of highly recommended vegetarian restaurants to suit every budget. At New Woodlands Restaurant you can watch food being prepared in an open kitchen and savour interesting items such as Rocket Dosai and Thairu Vada. Just across the road, you can experience the first Indian fast food joint in Singapore called Komalas. If, however, you fancy stepping into the most established restaurant in Little India, check out Komala Vilas at 76-78 Serangoon Road.

For a different dining experience, have a curry meal with rice and accompanying pulse dishes piled high on a banana leaf. Your utensils are your hands and it is polite to eat only with your right hand and never with the left as the left hand is associated with uncleanliness. Don't worry - if you need to, ask for a fork and spoon and of course, a huge glass of refreshing lime juice.

Aside from the traditional Indian meals, you may also want to savour Indian Muslim food in one of the many open-fronted coffee shops. Try the tasty prata, a crisp-crusty pancake. Catch the prata maker flipping the paper thin dough into the air with his hands, before folding it over and tossing it onto the well-oiled griddle.

About Vegetarianism
Vegetarianism is associated with religious purity. Hinduism dictates that all animal life should be revered. The cow, in particular, is highly revered as it is the provider of milk and transportation and traditionally served man to till his fields.

This respect for animal life led to the growth of one of the healthiest and tastiest cuisines. Try delicious vegetable and pulse curries with either white or saffron- flavoured rice. You can also order delicious Indian breads such as chappatis, flat whole-wheat bread served with dahl and vegetable, dhosai, a chewy rice flour and lentil pancake, or puris, deep fried bread served with curry.

Turn right onto Serangoon Road, walk on and turn right onto Cuff Road, where you can follow your nose to one of the last spice grinding shops.

The betel nut-chewing spice grinders here will grind spice mixtures or mill flour at your request.

Indian families often own unique recipes that handed down from one generation to another. They believe that spices should be freshly ground on the day of cooking as it releases that true flavour of the meat and vegetables.

The shop is open from 9 am to 6.30 pm and closed on Mondays.

Walk back onto Serangoon Road and cross the road at the junction of Veerasamy Road. Built by indentured Bengali labourers in 1881, this temple is dedicated to the Hindu Goddess Kali, the consort of Shiva. She is known as the Goddess of Power and the name "Veeramakaliamman" means "Kali the Courageous". On holy days (Tuesdays and Fridays), the streets are busy with devotees on their way to pray, worship and make requests to Kali for blessings. This temple is closed between 12.30 p.m. and 4 p.m. everyday. Note that women who are undergoing the monthly cycle are considered "unclean" and are not allowed to enter temple grounds.

In this temple, the main shrine contains a jet black statue of Kali, with her sons Ganesha and Murugan on each side. Kali is represented as having many pairs of arms and hands, and in her hands she carries weapons of destruction. Ganesha the Elephant God is best known as the Remover of Obstacles. Murugan is often depicted as riding a peacock and his birthday is celebrated by the Thaipusam festival. This spectacular two-day celebration is held during the full moon of the auspicious Hindu Month of Thai. This usually occurs in late January.

About Hindu Temples
As you enter the gates of the temple, look up at the gopuram or the tower over the entrance of the temple. Covered with figurative sculptures of gods and goddesses and mythological beasts, this tower is visible from afar so devotees can even say their prayers without stepping inside the temple. Notice strings of fresh mango and coconut leaves hanging above temple doors - they are signs of welcome and purity. Do remember to remove your shoes and leave them outside.

At the door, devotees ask God to grant their requests by ringing the bells before entering. They also purify themselves by washing their hands and feet, and sprinkling water on their heads. Near the door, look out for the aluminium enclosure into which devotees break coconuts as a symbol of breaking their egos to reveal their pure and kind inner-selves.

Within the temple compound, remember to walk in a clock-wise direction and only encircle the temple hall an odd number of times a sign of good luck. Look out for the offerings of bananas (symbol of abundance), mangoes and even sari for the goddesses at the shrine.

Notice the use of the lotus, a symbol of human life to the Hindus, as a decorative motif. As the lotus bud stretches towards the sun despite its roots being embedded in mud; likewise man strives for the spiritual despite being rooted deeply in nature.

Coming out of the temple, turn right and carry on down Serangoon Road. By now you would have noticed the numerous goldsmith shops along Serangoon Road. Traditionally, Indian goldsmiths were well-respected as they were also the image-makers of the gods. Today, many of these goldsmiths are still true Indian craftsmen, creating jewellery from ancient patterns. However, some of these shops are run by Chinese businessmen now.

In these shops, you can see navarethinam, a ring encrusted with nine different gems, each representing the nine visible planets including the sun and the moon. Usually worn by Indian men, the ring counteracts the influences of the planets.

Interestingly, Indian ladies buy ear-rings that screw clockwise, a direction associated with things positive and good by the Hindus. To the Indians, elephant hair is believed to bring good luck and is often found embedded in gold rings for both sexes. In fact, devotees can even buy small silver representations of body parts and offer them to temples to heal pain in their bodies. The temples then resell them to fund the temples.

Carry on down Serangoon Road until you come to your starting point - Zhujiao Centre. In Mandarin, the name means "the foot of bamboo shoots", reminding us of the early bamboo growing in abundance by the Rochor River.

The original produce market that once stood across here was called Kandang Kerbau Market or K K Market; the word "kandang kerbau" means cattle pen in Malay, a reminder of the cattle-rearing days here.

Today, Zhujiao Market or K K Market, as it is still affectionately referred to, bustles with a produce market selling fruit and vegetables as well as a meat and fish wet market. At one end there's a hawkers' centre offering typical Singaporean hawker fare.

Then climb up the stairs to discover the clothing, brassware and antique stalls on the next floor. From bedspreads, tailor-made dresses to quaint knick-knacks, you'll find virtually everything here.

If you are looking for a quieter side of Little India, take a stroll down this road named after the Race Course where Farrer Park Stadium now stands. Do check out some of the most famous Indian curry restaurants in Singapore as well as lively pubs that serve up music with a strong Indian beat. However, the MRT construction on one side of this might cause minor inconvenience.

For a refreshing spiritual experience, take any bus at Zhujiao Centre and alight after two bus-stops to explore this cluster of temples.

Just behind the bus-stop, you'll find Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple (built in 1855), one of the two Hindu temples in Singapore gazetted as national monuments. Soak in the serenity and beauty of the vast prayer courtyard. Noteworthy on the left is the chariot that ceremoniously carries the deities, and on the right a thulasi plant, an auspicious symbol of faith and womanhood, which women encircle and pray to. This temple is open from 6.30 am to noon and from 6 pm to 9 pm Note that women who are undergoing the monthly cycle must not enter the temple.

At the back of the temple, turn right and walk down Race Course Road, and you'll see Sakya Muni Buddha Gaya Temple with a pair of huge lions at the door. Popularly known as Temple of 1000 Lights, lightbulbs surrounding a huge seated Buddha statue, 50 feet high and weighing 300 tonnes, are switched on every time a donation is made. At the base of the statue, do look out for the photographs of temple donors who have passed on. In a chamber at the back of the statue, you can also find the image of the reclining Buddha. For 50 cents, you can even have your fortune told on a wheel on the left of the prayer hall. This temple is open daily from 8.00 am to 4.45 pm. For more details on the temple, look out for the information cards available at the premise.

Leave the temple, turn right and walk to the last temple across the road. Built in the late 1800s, Leong San Temple or the Dragon Mountain Temple is one of the most beautiful Taoist temples in Singapore, dedicated to Kwan Yin, the Taoist Goddess of Mercy. On the right, you can find an altar with the image of Confucius to which many parents bring their children to pray for intelligence and filial piety. Walking through the side doors of the prayer hall, you will be led to the ancestral hall at the back. Here you will see, all the way to the ceiling, the ancestral tablets with names of the deceased. On religious days, free vegetarian food is served to devotees in this hall.

This three storey shopping complex is a must-visit for any bargain-hunter. Check out the computer games, clothing, cameras or luggage here. Some of the lowest fixed prices in Singapore are offered here but be prepared for a crush of people during sale season.

Situated on the left bank of the Rochor Canal is this unique architectural gem name Ellison Building which is believed to have been built for a Jewish lady called Ellison; hence the Star of David at the top of the building. The two semi-circular domes at both sides were where the British governors once watched the races at the Race Course on Sundays.

Little India is just one of the many exciting places you can explore during your stay in Singapore. The Singapore Tourism Board has designated a variety of unique areas in Singapore, which offer you different cultural perspectives of life here in Singapore. Each area has its unique cultural and historical attractions and considerable attention has been taken to ensure that you are acquainted with the best that our Singapore can offer.

This guide is part of a series of "Yours to Explore" guides. Be sure to pick up your copy of the "Yours to Explore" guide for Chinatown, Singapore River and Orchard Road and let us take you through the Singapore we know.