Little India Street Life

The Tekka Centre features a distinct, boxy concrete exterior painted in thick horizontal bands of ochre, cream, and brown. Built in nineteen eighty-one, it replaced the old Kandang Kerbau Market, which stood nearby for over sixty years.…

The villa stands out by the kaleidoscope of colors painted across its decorative facade. Built in nineteen hundred, this structure is the last surviving Chinese villa in Little India. Tan Teng Niah, a local businessman who owned several…

The Little India Arcade features a long, covered walkway defined by rounded arches and intricate, colorful patterned tiling along the floor. These shophouses date back to the early twentieth century and once functioned as a hub for traders…

The Jothi Flower Shop fills the sidewalk with the heavy, sweet scent of fresh jasmine and marigold garlands. Since nineteen sixty-four, when Jothi’s founder began selling flowers from a simple basket, the shop has served as the primary…

The Indian Heritage Centre features a facade of shimmering glass panels etched with intricate, jali-inspired patterns that catch the sunlight. This four-story building houses five permanent galleries dedicated to the history and culture of…

The Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple stands out with its gopuram, a towering entrance gate crowded with vibrant, carved figures of Hindu deities. Built in the eighteen eighties by pioneers from Bengal, it served as a sanctuary for immigrant…

Mustafa Centre occupies a sprawling complex of interlinked buildings in Little India, recognizable by its bright yellow facade and the constant stream of shoppers entering through its crowded street-level doors. What started in nineteen…

The gopuram, or monumental entrance tower, displays a vibrant vertical stack of stucco deities in shades of pink, turquoise, and gold. This temple serves as a central hub for the Hindu community in Little India, established by immigrants…