Visit Little India in Singapore for Ethnic Experience
I went to Little India in Singapore for many…many times for shallow reason. Ehm..."shallow reason" was said by those who thought that they are cultured and yet never been to this exotic Indian’s enclave – what a shame.
Why did they call me shallow if I only like to shop and eat here? I know there are beautiful temples, garlands, artistic henna hand-paintings, Indian spices sellers, etc. But, how many times you want to see, buy, or experience that? Once is enough, isn’t it?
I like Little India – that’s why I keep coming back to this place. Again, it is for shopping, eating, and soaks into its unique atmosphere.
Some people said the place is rowdy, pungent, and old. Hey, don’t you feel bored living in the city that seems everything is in order, cold, and no personal touch? Being there will make me feel like being out of the city where I live in now. It’s different and refreshing.
If you go there, you’ll definitely experience the little piece of Singapore offering ethnic experience beside of Kampong Glam for Arabic-Malay’s culture and Chinatown.
My favorite eating place here is Madurai Meenakshi at Syed Alwi Road.
Previously I always go to the food court at the corner of Kg Kapor road for my roti prata, nasi bryani, chicken curry, and other Indian food because the price is affordable. We worry that we’ll spend excessively if we go to restaurants.
One day my husband and I had our lunch there because the weather is super hot and we need air-conditioned restaurant for our spicy foods.
Do you know what? Surprisingly, the price there is reasonable. We don’t mind paying slightly more for good service, good ambience, and good food’s presentation, do you? From that moment we always go back to Madurai Meenakshi restaurant whenever we visit Little India.
These are the picture of my favorite foods: Pampedam, Tandoori Chicken, and Vadee.
If you are vegetarian, one of good & affordable Indian vegetarian food restaurants here will be Ananda Bhavan restaurant. It's located just beside Madurai Meenakshi restaurant at No.95, Syed Alwi Road, Singapore 207670. The restaurant is open for 24 hours/ 7 days.
For shopping, my favorite place is of course Mustafa Centre.
If you need Indian spice or other products from India and can’t get it elsewhere you will find it here. I like Mustafa because I can basically find anything I need here with better prices. I like to shop for shoes, luggage, and electronic items here. Indeed, Mustafa is one of Singapore’s largest IT mall.
You can also find other shopping places at Little India such as:
Serangoon Plaza: I found that there is actually a link from this plaza to Mustafa Centre. You’ll see lots of gold jewelries displayed near to the entrance.
Address: 320 Serangoon Road, Singapore218108
Little India Arcade:
Everything related to India such as sculptures, hand-beaded sandals, exquisite Sari (traditional Indian’s woman dress), and knick-knacks are available here.
The Verge: You’ll find the Verge – 6 storey air-conditioned shopping complex across the road from Tekka Centre. It’s previously known as Tekka Mall before renovation in 2008.
Address: No. 2 Serangoon Road, Singapore 218227
Little India in Singapore is also surrounded by places of worship such as temples, and mosque.
The famous ones are:
Masjid Abdul Gaffoor (Indian Muslim mosque)
Address: 41 Dunlop Street Singapore 209369
Tel (65) 6295 4209
Sakya Muni Buddha Gaya Temple (Temple of 1,000 Lights)
Address: 366 Race Course Road, Singapore 218636
Tel: (65) 6294 0714
Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple When you see 20 metre height of Gopuram or tower depicting incarnation of Vishnu around Serangoon Road you’ll know that you are at Sri Perumal Temple.
This is also a place where the Thaipusam processions begin.
Note: You can take MRT and alight at Farrer Park Station (NE8) to go there.
So, are you coming over to visit Little India in Singapore? If yes, please come back to my website and share your story with us by filling up the form at contact us page.
If you are not sure yet and want to see more about the place, I hope video below will give you a better idea about it.
