LION CITY HUB • NATIONAL EDUCATION & HERITAGE
Little India Heritage Trail
Experience a district shaped by cattle trading, migration, worship, commerce and living Indian traditions.
Little India’s Trades, Faiths and Cultural Life
Little India grew along Serangoon Road, an early route linking town with the island’s interior. The area first supported agriculture and cattle-related businesses, which attracted workers and traders. From the late 19th century, Indian merchants, religious institutions and community services became increasingly established.
Temples, mosques, churches, shophouses and markets now stand close together, reflecting a complex multicultural history. Festivals, food, clothing, goldsmiths and flower-garland makers keep the district’s heritage active in everyday life.
Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple, dedicated to the goddess Kali, remains one of the district’s oldest places of Hindu worship. Tekka Centre serves daily shoppers, while the Indian Heritage Centre traces the histories of Indian and South Asian communities.
Did You Know?
Cattle trading once shaped the district because the nearby river and open land provided water and space for livestock.
Serangoon Road has been a major route since the 19th century and remains the central spine of Little India.
What Makes Little India Special
Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple
One of the district’s oldest Hindu temples, it is dedicated to the goddess Kali and remains an active place of worship.
Tekka Centre
The market and food centre brings together produce, cooked food and everyday shopping for many communities.
Indian Heritage Centre
Its exhibitions trace the histories and contributions of Indian and South Asian communities in Singapore and the region.
The Cattle-Trade Origins
Before becoming a cultural district, Little India’s open land and waterways supported cattle trading. This industry attracted workers, traders and related businesses to Serangoon Road.
Trail Routes
Route 1 Markets, Work and Everyday Faith
Discover Little India’s diverse communities through market life, migrant enterprise and religious institutions.
Duration: 75–105 minutes · Distance: 1.2–1.6 km · Stops: 4
1. Tekka Centre
The former Kandang Kerbau Market, built in 1915, became an important landmark along Serangoon Road. Today’s Tekka Centre continues that market tradition in a later building, connecting produce trading, food and shopping with the everyday life of Little India.
2. Former House of Tan Teng Niah
Tan Teng Niah was a Chinese businessman associated with a sweet factory on Kerbau Road. His surviving villa reflects Little India’s mixed commercial and residential past, showing how different communities contributed to a district often associated primarily with Indian heritage.
3. Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple
Dedicated to the goddess Kali, Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple has origins associated with Tamil workers in the surrounding lime pits. Its history connects religious practice with the livelihoods of the district’s working population, reflecting the community institutions that developed alongside migration and labour.
4. Abdul Gafoor Mosque
Abdul Gafoor Mosque served Tamil Muslim traders in Kampong Kapor and Baweanese horse groomers and trainers working near the old racecourse. Its history adds another perspective on migration and labour, while its national-monument status recognises its architectural and community significance.
Route 2 Northern Neighbours
Explore three neighbouring institutions that reflect different traditions of worship, migration and community support.
Duration: 45–75 minutes · Distance: 0.6–0.9 km · Stops: 3
1. Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple
Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple stands on land purchased in 1851 by Indian men seeking a place of worship for local Hindus. Dedicated to Vishnu, the temple reflects community efforts to establish lasting religious institutions within Singapore’s developing urban landscape.
2. Sakya Muni Buddha Gaya Temple
The present temple building was constructed in 1930 with support from Aw Boon Haw and Aw Boon Par, the brothers associated with Tiger Balm. Its monumental Buddha, surrounded by lights, gives the institution its familiar name: the Temple of a Thousand Lights.
3. Leong San See Temple
Leong San See traces its roots to a temple tradition from Fujian, China, with its Singapore branch established in 1917. Its ornate architecture provides a contrast with neighbouring Sakya Muni Buddha Gaya Temple, revealing different Buddhist connections within the same small precinct.
