Little India in Singapore occupies a concentrated grid of streets centred on Serangoon Road, just north of the CBD and culturally worlds away from it. This neighbourhood has been a Tamil hub since the 1820s when Indian laborers — brought to Singapore under British colonial rule — settled alongside the Rochor River. Today it remains the cultural and commercial heart of Singapore’s South Indian community, and visiting it is one of the most sensory-rich experiences the city offers.
Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple on Serangoon Road is Little India’s most striking landmark — a Dravidian-style temple dedicated to the Hindu goddess Kali. The six-tier gopuram (entrance tower) is covered in hundreds of hand-painted stucco figures depicting deities, celestial beings, and mythological scenes in vivid orange, green, and gold. The temple was founded in 1881 by Bengali laborers and has been rebuilt and expanded several times since. It is most atmospheric during puja (prayer) times at dawn and dusk, when the air fills with incense smoke and the bells ring continuously. Entry is free — remove shoes and dress modestly.
Tekka Centre sits at the corner of Serangoon Road and Buffalo Road and is the neighbourhood’s beating heart. The ground floor wet market is one of the city’s most photogenic — stalls overflowing with fresh tropical produce, curry pastes, banana flowers, betel leaves, and fresh jasmine garlands sold by the meter. Upstairs, the hawker food centre serves outstanding Indian Muslim and South Indian food: fish head curry, mee goreng, roti prata with dhal, and teh tarik (pulled milk tea). Budget SGD 4-8 per dish.
The banana leaf restaurants on Race Course Road, parallel to Serangoon Road, are legendary. Banana Leaf Apolo (est. 1971) is perhaps the most famous — it popularized Singapore’s version of banana leaf curry, where rice is served on a fresh leaf and surrounded by curries, chutneys, pappadum, and vegetables. The fish head curry here has won multiple awards. Komala Vilas on Serangoon Road is equally iconic and fully vegetarian. At both, the right thing to do is eat with your right hand — mixing the curries into the rice on the banana leaf.
Serangoon Road shophouses contain some of the most intact pre-war architecture in Singapore — two-story terraces with distinctive five-foot walkways (covered colonnades designed to protect pedestrians from rain and sun). Inside: Indian textile merchants selling saris and kurtas, goldsmith shops (24-karat gold in Indian designs is significantly cheaper here than in tourist areas), incense stick makers, and traditional Indian sweet shops selling Mysore Pak, ladoo, and halwa by the kilogram.