# Little India, Singapore

Little India (Tamil: லிட்டில் இந்தியா) is an ethnic district in Singapore. It is located east of the Singapore River – across from Chinatown, which is west of the river – and north of Kampong Glam. Both areas are part of the urban planning area of Rochor. Little India is commonly known as Tekka among the Indian Singaporean community.

## History

Little India was originally a district used by Europeans for cattle trading. Indian migrant workers specializing in working with cattle found job opportunities there. Its location, along the Serangoon River, originally made it attractive for raising cattle, thus the livestock trade was once prominent in the area. Eventually, the swamps that made cattle farming lucrative were drained, and the European cattle farmers and traders moved out. This left the neighborhood almost entirely ethnically Indian.
Little India was the site of a two-hour-long riot on 8 December 2013, after a man was killed in a traffic accident. 27 people were injured, and 40 people were arrested.

## Culture

Although ethnic Indians no longer tend to stay solely segregated in one place as previously arranged under the modern People's Action Party (PAP) policy of racial harmony, for the sake of cultural heritage, many of the ethnically Indian commercial or cottage industry usages are concentrated in Little India. Nonetheless, Indian-dominant commercial zones are also found in HDB estates. Contrary to stereotypes, Little India is not solely an Indian neighborhood. Located in the neighborhood, alongside shops that cater predominantly to the Indian community, are Chinese clan associations, places of worship of different religions, and various businesses ranging from electrical supplies, hardware, and second-hand goods to traditional spice grinders and grocers.

## Features

Serangoon Road is the main commercial thoroughfare in Little India. It intersects the Rochor Canal Road and Bukit Timah Sungei Road. Along Serangoon Road are the Tekka Centre, the Tekka Mall, the Little India Arcade, Serangoon Plaza, and the Mustafa Centre (on a side road). Farrer Park Fields is located in the district. Several Hindu temples, mosques, and other places of worship include Far Kor Sun Monkey God Temple, Foochow Methodist Church, Kampong Kapor Methodist Church, which was completed in 1929, Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple, Angullia Mosque, Sri Vadapathira Kaliamman Temple, Jalan Mosque, and the Central Sikh Gurdwara.
The Sakya Muni Buddha Gaya Temple, along Race Course Road, was established by a Thai monk, Venerable Vutthisasara in 1927. Leong San See Temple was built in 1917 and is dedicated to Guanyin, Bodhisattva of Compassion.
Little India also features a few art houses. In 1985, the National Arts Council introduced the Arts Housing Scheme. This scheme sought to identify and refurbish old buildings for arts and cultural purposes. In Little India, a line of shophouses along Kerbau Road was determined to be suitable for the scheme. This is known as the Little India Arts Belt. In 2011, there were seven arts organizations in the Little India Arts Belt. Three were contemporary theatre companies, while the other organizations involved traditional arts such as Malay dance and Indian theatre.

## Transport

The area is served by the following MRT stations: Little India, Farrer Park on the North East line, and Rochor and Jalan Besar on the Downtown line. Bus services 23, 64, 65, 67, 131, 139, 147, and 857 pass through Little India via Serangoon Road.