Little India is the loudest, most colourful district in Singapore — jasmine and turmeric in the air, gold shops next to flower garland stalls, and one of the most photogenic shophouses on the island painted in eight different colours. The trail below covers the highlights in a half-day on foot, with the MRT and bus stops you'll need.
Getting there
The fastest entry is Little India MRT on the North-East and Downtown Lines. Exit E drops you on Bukit Timah Road, two minutes from Tekka Centre.
NE7 / DT12Best exit: E for Tekka Centre and Serangoon Road, C for the House of Tan Teng Niah area.
07531 (Tekka Ctr) and 07539 (Opp Tekka Ctr) for buses 23, 64, 65, 66, 67, 131, 139, 147 — search any code in GoBus SG for live arrivals.
Stop 1 · Tekka Centre
Start with breakfast or a wander through Tekka Centre, the famous wet market and hawker centre on the corner of Bukit Timah and Serangoon Road. Upstairs is one of Singapore's biggest selections of sarees and Indian textiles; downstairs you'll find biryani, dosa, roti prata, fish-head curry and putu mayam.
Stop 2 · Serangoon Road & the gold belt
Cross over to Serangoon Road and walk north. The shopfronts here are an ongoing story of South Indian migration — sweet shops, money changers, gold jewellers, music stores playing Tamil playback, and stalls selling kolam stencils, banana leaves and incense.
Stop 3 · Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple
A few minutes up Serangoon Road sits one of Singapore's most striking Hindu temples. Sri Veeramakaliamman is dedicated to the goddess Kali — its gopuram is a tower of brightly painted deities and the interior is full of sculptural detail. Remove shoes before entering; photography is generally allowed in the courtyard but check signs inside.
Stop 4 · House of Tan Teng Niah
Tucked into Kerbau Road is the House of Tan Teng Niah, the last surviving Chinese villa in Little India — built in 1900 by a Chinese confectionery owner whose factory once sat next door. Today it's painted in eight Tamil-inspired colours and is the most-photographed shophouse in Singapore. A short walk away is the buffalo-themed mural that gives Kerbau ("buffalo") Road its name.
Stop 5 · Lunch on Race Course Road or Kerbau Road
Two famous picks within minutes of each other:
- Banana Leaf Apolo or Muthu's Curry on Race Course Road — both well-known for South Indian fish-head curry served on banana leaves.
- Komala Vilas on Serangoon Road — a vegetarian South Indian institution; the dosas and thalis are excellent.
Stop 6 · Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple
Further up Serangoon Road, the Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple is dedicated to Vishnu and is the starting point of the annual Thaipusam procession to Tank Road. The 20-metre gopuram is a National Monument.
Stop 7 · Mustafa Centre (optional)
End the trip at Mustafa Centre on Syed Alwi Road — open almost around the clock and famous for everything from spices and Indian sweets to electronics and luggage. It's a genuinely useful stop and a remarkable cross-section of the neighbourhood.
Heading back
NE8 — closest to Mustafa Centre.Jalan Besar MRT ·
DT22 — useful for the eastern edge of the neighbourhood.
A walkable order
- Little India MRT (Exit E)
- Tekka Centre
- Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple
- House of Tan Teng Niah / Kerbau Road murals
- Lunch on Race Course Road or Komala Vilas
- Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple
- Mustafa Centre → Farrer Park MRT
Best time to go
Little India lights up for Deepavali (Diwali, October–November), when Serangoon Road becomes an avenue of lights and the pop-up bazaar fills the streets. The Thaipusam procession (January–February) starts at Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple. Pongal in January and the year-round flower-garland stalls are reasons to come at any time.
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