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©️ sn infocomm 2017
WHERE
Little India is located in the East of the Singapore River and North of Kampong Glam. It is an area part of the urban planning area of Rochor.
WHAT
Little India is the heart of the Indian community in Singapore. Today, it is home to many traditional and modern stores, rich culture, and is a heritage site in Singapore. Little India used to have a race course and cattle herders and while all these are gone now, there are still traces of the past happenings in Little India that are present today.
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CATTLE FARMING
During the 1920s, the cattle trading boomed due to its location near to the Serangoon River. Road names like Buffalo Road today are evidence of the cattle business in Little India.
The cattle trade also lead to many economic activities, with the cattle being a source of food, as well as transportation and driving simple machines. This gave rise to activities like wheat grinding and pineapple preservation.
Cattle trading was an Indian trade, leading to many Indians living in the area while European bosses would mostly employ migrant workers from India. In the early 20th century, the cattle trade started to die out as swamps were drained to facilitate the construction of buildings.
RACE COURSE
The Race Course, now known as Farrer Park, was built during the early 1840s. Ever since the very first two day race on 23rd and 25th February 1942, Europeans would gather at the Race Course in large groups.
They would watch their fellow countrymen compete on horses that they trained themselves. The first biannual horse race was held in 1943.
Many were attracted to the Race Course to mingle around and relax, with some of them moving into the neighbourhood. Dunlop, Dickson and Cuff Streets are examples of names of European families who had once called these streets their home.
©️ sn infocomm 2017
©️ sn infocomm 2017
FORMER
RESIDENCE OF TAN TENG NIAH
This brightly coloured eight-room villa is the last Chinese villa left standing in Little India.
In the 1900s, Tan Teng Niah was a successful businessman who owned a confectionery business and various small businesses. He built this villa for his wife.
The villa was originally whitewashed, with the bright colours painted only in the 1980s. The building, a hybrid between Southern Chinese and European architectural influences, won the Singapore Institute of Architects Honourable Mention Award in 1991.
Interesting features of the villa includes the bamboo tiled roof, a swinging door and a glided name plate at the entrance of the villa.
©️ sn infocomm 2017
©️ sn infocomm 2017
©️ sn infocomm 2017
©️ sn infocomm 2017
S R I
V E E R A M A K A L I A M M A N
T E M P L E
One of the oldest Hindu temples in Singapore built in 1855 and located in the heart of Little India, the Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple is one of the historical landmarks in Little India and Singapore.
The temple is dedicated to the goddess and destroyer of evil, Sri Veeramakaliamman, or Kali in short.
In the early days, it was mainly used by Indian migrant workers to pray for safety in the foreign land of Singapore.
One of its first names was Soonambu Kambam Kovil (Temple at the Lime Village), as many workers worked at lime kilns back then with many buildings made from lime.
During the Japanese air raids World War 2, many sought refuge in the temple and prayed to the goddess Kali, and miraculously, the temple and all its statues were not destroyed by the bombs.
In the 1980s, major reconstruction took place, with the addition of a Rajagopuram (Front Tower), eight main domes, several other minor domes and an annex building.
It was then renovated again in 1999, with its consecration ceremony taking place in 2000. In June of 2014, there was another consecration ceremony marking the culmination of the major restoration works and the construction of a major six-storey building with new facilities such as a wedding hall, multi-purpose hall and staff quarters.
The temple still attracts many visitors a day with its majestic architecture and rich history.
©️ sn infocomm 2017
Although Little India is dominantly visited by the Indian community in Singapore, it also attracts people of all races to their many quaint shops and buildings.
People from all walks of life visit Little India for the wide variety of authentic Indian cuisine and is a must-go place for tourists to go to for their rich culture and heritage, thus uniting people of different backgrounds to enjoy the unique culture in Little India.