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Stepping out of the MRT station into Little India is not merely a change of scenery; it is a full-body immersion into a world that feels delightfully at odds with the sleek, glass-and-steel modernity of the rest of Singapore. The transition is instantaneous. The first thing that hits you is the air—a dense, intoxicating medley of cumin, coriander, jasmine, and the distinct, sweet scent of frying dough.

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Stepping out of the MRT station into Little India is not merely a change of scenery; it is a full-body immersion into a world that feels delightfully at odds with the sleek, glass-and-steel modernity of the rest of Singapore. The transition is instantaneous. The first thing that hits you is the air—a dense, intoxicating medley of cumin, coriander, jasmine, and the distinct, sweet scent of frying dough.

Then comes the visual explosion. Shophouses painted in sunshine yellows, electric blues, and passionate pinks stand shoulder to shoulder, their facades adorned with intricate plasterwork. Tamil film music drifts from electronics shops, competing with the rhythmic chants from nearby temples and the honking of traffic. Flower garlands spill from open storefronts onto the pavement in cascades of marigold orange and rose red.

This is not a manufactured cultural exhibit designed for tourists. It is the real, beating heart of a diaspora, a living, breathing neighborhood where history, faith, and daily life are woven together into a vibrant tapestry. Spending a half-day here—or even better, a full day—is spending time in one of Southeast Asia’s most culturally rich urban enclaves, a place where every corner offers a new discovery.

The Heritage Spine: Walking Serangoon Road

Serangoon Road is the main artery of Little India, but it is best experienced not as a destination to be checked off a list, but as a slow, meandering walk. The road and its network of side lanes—Kerbau Road, Dunlop Street, Buffalo Road, Campbell Lane—contain almost everything Little India has to offer: temples, mosques, flower garland sellers, spice merchants, textile shops, and restaurants wafting the irresistible aromas of curry and freshly baked naan.

As you walk down Serangoon Road, the architecture itself tells a story. The shophouses, many of which date back to the 19th and early 20th centuries, are a testament to the area’s rich history. With their wooden louvered windows, colorful facades, and intricate details, these buildings are a photographer’s dream. Some are painted in bold, contrasting colors, like the vibrant pink building with its dark wooden shutters, while others retain a more subdued, weathered charm, their peeling paint and faded signs whispering stories of decades gone by. The juxtaposition of these traditional structures against the backdrop of modern high-rise apartments and construction cranes in the distance is a visual reminder of Singapore’s constant evolution, where the old and the new coexist in a delicate, sometimes chaotic, harmony.

Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple: A Spiritual Centerpiece

The most visually spectacular stop on your walk is undoubtedly Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple, one of Singapore’s oldest Hindu places of worship. Built in 1881 by Bengali labourers, its six-storey gopuram (entrance tower) is a breathtaking sight, encrusted with hundreds of vibrantly painted Hindu deities, each telling a story from ancient mythology. The temple is dedicated to the fierce goddess Kali, the destroyer of evil, and the energy here is palpable. The temple is busiest on Sundays when thousands of worshippers come to pray, their colorful saris and the scent of incense filling the air. Even for those who are not Hindu, the temple offers a profound sense of peace and a glimpse into the spiritual heart of the community. Respectful visitors are welcome outside active prayer times, provided they dress modestly and remove their shoes before entering.

Just a short walk from the temple, you will find the Tan Teng Niah House, a historic villa built in 1900 that catches the eye with a riot of color—eight different shades across its walls and shutters. It is the last surviving Chinese villa in Little India, a quiet testament to the multicultural layers that have defined this neighborhood for generations. The house, with its intricate woodwork and vibrant paint job, stands as a beautiful reminder that Little India is not just an Indian enclave, but a melting pot of different cultures that have lived side by side for centuries.

The Indian Heritage Centre: A Journey Through Time

No visit to Little India is complete without stepping into the Indian Heritage Centre, a four-storey building whose facade draws inspiration from the traditional Indian baoli—the stepwell. The design is a unique trellis of steps and balconies that line the exterior, creating a stunning visual that reflects Singapore’s skies by day and lights up into a vibrant mural of Little India by night.

Opened in 2015, the centre is the first museum in Southeast Asia dedicated to the diversity of Indian culture. Its five permanent galleries house over 400 artefacts—treasured heirlooms, jewels, diaries, and family photographs—that together illustrate the story of the Indian community in Singapore. The journey begins in the 1st century, tracing early interactions between South and Southeast Asia, before unfolding into the stories of Indian Singaporeans and their immense contributions to the island’s development.

What makes the Indian Heritage Centre truly special is how it was built: powered by the community’s voices and recollections. It is not just a collection of objects behind glass; it is a living archive of memories. Virtual guides and interactive gameplay elevate the experience, but it is the personal stories that linger long after you leave. The centre also hosts a dynamic calendar of performances, workshops, and festive celebrations throughout the year, ensuring that the culture it preserves is not just remembered, but actively celebrated.

The Indian Muslim Heritage Centre: A Different Thread

A short journey away—in the historic Chinatown area on Telok Ayer Street—sits another essential piece of the story: the Nagore Dargah Indian Muslim Heritage Centre. While Little India is often associated with Hindu culture, it is crucial to understand the diverse fabric of the Indian community, which includes a significant Muslim population.

The building itself dates back to 1828, when early Tamil Muslim traders from the Chulia community built a shrine to honour Saint Shahul Hamid of Nagore, following their safe voyage from India to Singapore. Its architecture is a striking blend of Indo-Islamic and European neoclassical elements, with fluted Corinthian pillars, ornate arches, and minarets topped with onion domes. The shrine was designated a national monument in 1974, and after a revitalisation project, it reopened in 2011 as a heritage centre—no longer a place of worship, but a space for exhibitions and guided tours that highlight the history and contributions of the Indian Muslim community in Singapore. It plays a key role in promoting intercultural understanding, showcasing a heritage that bridges South India and the Malay Archipelago.

The Sensory Overload: Markets, Flowers, and Food

Beyond the museums and monuments, Little India is a place of small, vivid, and deeply sensory moments that stay with you long after you leave. At Tekka Centre, the ground floor is a bustling wet market of fresh seafood, tropical fruit, and rows upon rows of vibrant produce, while the upper hawker level serves some of the finest South Indian and Malay street food in the city. The air here is thick with the sounds of haggling and the smells of sizzling spices.

A visit to the flower stalls is an absolute must. Here, you will find thousands of fresh marigold garlands—the deep, fiery orange and bright yellow blooms threaded into intricate necklaces—hanging in massive, fragrant curtains. These garlands are not just decorations; they are an integral part of daily worship and celebration, and watching the florists weave them with practiced speed is an art form in itself. The vibrant colors of the flowers against the weathered walls of the shophouses are a photographer’s dream, capturing the essence of the neighborhood in a single frame.

And then there is Little India Arcade on Campbell Lane, where jasmine garlands hang beside packed spice shelves and trays of traditional Indian sweets. It is a treasure trove of textiles, souvenirs, and local life. As you wander through the narrow alleys, you will encounter street art that brings the walls to life—mural of colorful cows covered in floral patterns, majestic faces of Hindu deities peering down from above, and scenes of traditional trades like sewing and spice grinding. These murals are not just street art; they are visual narratives that celebrate the history and identity of the community.

And let us not forget Mustafa Centre, the sprawling, six-floor, 24-hour department store that is a Singapore institution unto itself. It is chaotic, fascinating, and completely unique—a place where you can buy anything from gold jewelry to groceries at any hour of the day or night. It is a microcosm of Little India itself: overwhelming, diverse, and utterly captivating.

The Rhythm of the Streets

What makes Little India truly special is the rhythm of its streets. It is a place where you can witness the everyday life of a community unfold before your eyes. A man walking past a brightly colored storefront, a group of women in beautiful saris chatting on a corner, the smell of a fresh dosa being prepared in a restaurant kitchen—these are the moments that define the neighborhood.

At night, the area transforms again. The neon signs of the restaurants and shops flicker to life, and the streets fill with people. The Aroy Mak Mookata sign, with its glowing Thai noodles and Thai BBQ, hints at the cross-cultural influences that flow through Singapore. The Indian Muslim restaurants, like the iconic Al Haleem on Perak Road, with its bright orange awning and historic shophouse architecture, offer a different culinary tradition, serving up rich, slow-cooked stews that warm the soul. The Royal Arabian Mandi and Bhai Biryani signs are beacons for food lovers, promising a feast of aromatic rice and tender meats.

The street signs themselves are a delight. The green sign for Campbell Lane is a perfect example of Singapore’s multicultural identity, displaying the street name in both English and Tamil script. It is a simple detail, but it speaks volumes about the inclusive, multilingual fabric of the city.

The Asian Itinerary Verdict

Little India is not a place you simply see. It is a place you feel. It is a place where the sensory density—the colors, the spices, the music, the faith—creates an experience that leaves you wonderfully overwhelmed, your camera full, and your spirit lifted.

For travelers seeking to understand the layers of Singapore’s multicultural identity, this neighborhood is not optional. It is essential. It is a reminder that beneath the sleek, modern surface of the city-state lies a rich, complex history of migration, struggle, and triumph. It is a place where the old world meets the new, where the sacred and the profane walk side by side, and where every corner tells a story.

Whether you are wandering through the halls of the Indian Heritage Centre, standing in awe before the gopuram of Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple, or simply sipping a cup of teh tarik while watching the world go by, Little India will leave an indelible mark on your memory. It is a true kaleidoscope of culture, color, and faith—a living testament to the beauty of diversity.

Key Information for Visitors:

Indian Heritage Centre: 5 Campbell Lane, Singapore 209924. Open Tuesday–Sunday. Closed Mondays. www.indianheritage.gov.sg/en

Nagore Dargah Indian Muslim Heritage Centre: 140 Telok Ayer Street, Singapore 068604. Open Monday–Friday, 10am–5.30pm; Saturday, 9am–1pm. https://ndimhc.mimbar.sg/

Getting There: Little India MRT Station (DT12/NE7) or Farrer Park MRT (NE8).

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Vanakkam – Namaste – Saab Sri Akal – Assalamu Alaikum – Welcome!

These six words, printed on the wall just inside the entrance, set the tone for everything that follows. The Indian Heritage Centre in Singapore is not just a museum about one community. It is an invitation to understand how Singapore was built – by Tamils and Punjabis, Muslims and Hindus, Chettiars and Chulias, merchants and coolies, poets and politicians.

I visited the IHC on the afternoon of May as part of my Singapore media trip for Asian Itinerary. I had already spent the morning at the Chinatown Heritage Centre, so I arrived with high expectations.

A Building That Speaks Before You Enter

From the outside, the Indian Heritage Centre is impossible to miss. Located at 5 Campbell Lane in the heart of Little India, its four-storey glass façade shimmers like a diamond – reflective by day, glowing with colour at night. Designed by architects Gaurang Khemka and Greg Shand, the building draws inspiration from the traditional Indian baoli (stepwell), with a dramatic staircase that connects the upper and lower levels while offering aerial views of the surrounding district.

The architects wanted the building to be “visually and physically permeable at ground level” – and it works. You do not feel like you are entering a fortress of culture. You feel invited.

A Decade of Heritage

Opened in May 2015 by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, the Indian Heritage Centre was the first museum in Southeast Asia dedicated to the Indian community’s diverse heritage. PM Lee called it “a timely gift from the Indian community to Singapore” – and indeed, 2015 marked both Singapore’s 50th year of independence and 50 years of diplomatic ties between Singapore and India.

Since then, the centre has welcomed over 1.6 million visitors. In 2025, to mark its 10th anniversary and Singapore’s SG60 celebrations, the Indian Heritage Centre introduced 60 new artefacts across its permanent galleries – many displayed for the first time.

How to Visit: Start at the Top

The best way to experience the museum is simple: take the elevator to the fourth floor and work your way down. This is the key to understanding the Indian Heritage Centre’s curatorial logic. The introductory video at the entrance of the fourth floor is excellent and prepares you for what you are about to see. I followed this advice. It worked perfectly.

Level 4: Early Contact & Origins

The fourth floor houses the permanent exhibition “Indians in Singapore: Past to Present” , which traces the history of South Asian presence in Southeast Asia from the 1st century CE all the way to the present day. The first gallery, “Early Contact: Interactions between South and Southeast Asia,” reveals something that many visitors do not expect. Indian cultural influence in this region did not begin with colonialism. It began more than 2,000 years ago.

As the gallery texts explain: “South Asian and Southeast Asian cultures have interacted from the beginning of the Common Era (and possibly earlier). Through traders, monks, political emissaries and missionaries, interactions between the two regions flourished.”

The evidence is everywhere: Hindu and Buddhist temples across Southeast Asia, Sanskrit inscriptions in Vietnam and Indonesia, and Tamil trade records mentioning Kalagam (now Kedah, Malaysia) dating back to the Sangam era.

Another gallery, “Roots and Routes: Origins and Migration,” showcases artefacts from the Pallava, Chola and Pala periods – including a rare gilt-covered bronze figure of Arthanarishvara (the androgynous form of Shiva and Parvati) from Nepal, dating back to the Kushan period (1st–3rd century CE).

Level 3: Faith, Trade & Community Life

The third floor is where history becomes intimate. Here you will find galleries dedicated to the religions that arrived in Southeast Asia via South Asia: Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and Christianity. One of the most fascinating objects on display is a bezoar stone container from late 17th-century Goa. Bezoar stones – extracted from the digestive systems of sheep and goats – were believed to be antidotes to poison and were often worth more than their weight in gold.

Another highlight is a 19th-century ivory sewing box from Vizagapatnam, crafted by Kamsali artisans for the Dutch and British East India Company markets. The box is styled like a house, painted with architectural details on all sides, and opens to reveal a neatly compartmentalised interior for sewing accessories. Then there is the Kalamkari hanging from Masulipatnam (circa 1800) – a hand-painted cotton textile featuring Persian-inspired medallion designs with fine lines of applied gold. It is exquisite.

But the third floor is not just about artefacts. Walking through the galleries, I noticed Indian-Singaporean families pointing at objects and whispering, “My grandmother had one just like this.” This is the power of the Indian Heritage Centre. It does not just display history. It brings it to life.

Level 2: Changing Exhibitions & Interactive Spaces

The second floor hosts temporary exhibitions that change throughout the year. During my visit, there was no special exhibition on display. Part of this floor is dedicated to children’s learning, with interactive paths and playful objects designed to introduce young visitors to Indian culture in a fun and engaging way. It is a great solution for families visiting the museum with young children.

Level 1: The Three Sculptures

Back on the ground floor, before you exit, do not miss the three sculptures displayed just outside the entrance. They depict Masala – a chilli, a clove, and a nutmeg with mace – representing the spice trade that first connected South Asia and Southeast Asia.

What to Do Nearby

After the Indian Heritage Centre, explore Campbell Lane and Serangoon Road. Just a few steps away:

• Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple – one of Singapore’s oldest Hindu temples (dedicated to Goddess Kali)
• Little India Arcade – shops selling spices, jewellery, textiles and souvenirs
• Tekka Centre – authentic Indian and Ceylonese food (try the masala dosa or biriyani)
• Mustafa Centre – 24-hour shopping for literally everything

Practical Information

Getting There:

• MRT: Little India Station (Downtown Line – Blue, or North East Line – Purple), Exit E
• Bus: Services 23, 64, 65, 66, 67, 131, 139, 147, 857 (stop 07031 on Serangoon Road, opposite Tekka Centre)

Disclosure & Thanks

My visit to the Indian Heritage Centre was hosted as part of my media trip to Singapore. I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to the Indian Heritage Centre for their warm welcome and for their essential mission of preserving and sharing these important stories. The IHC is small, layered, and full of flavour. This article is for Asian Itinerary and, as always, all opinions, words and images are my own.

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Penang; a name that for most of the expatriates living in the south of Thailand represents a kind of nightmare, a small place where they feel they expiate the sins of living in one of the most brilliant countries of South East Asia. Penang is where you go periodically to renew your visa, be it for tourism or business, and to be able to continue living in the Land of Smiles. Almost every day I meet a friend or an acquaintance who tells me, with a mixed expression between sad, bored and irritated, “damn, I have to go to Penang tomorrow.” They prepare themselves psychologically for that long and tiring journey, the cheapest and fastest, complete with minibus, bureaucrats and lots of waiting time. A one or two nights stay characterised by boring walks back and forth along Chulia Street, long hours lounging on the guesthouse bed waiting for time to pass, and frequent visits to the guesthouse counter to ask if the yearned for visa has arrived. And in the end, when finally the passport is returned decorated with the coveted stamp, they pick up a ready-to-go backpack that was never unpacked, and rush to get a minibus back to Thailand that was dutifully pre-booked upon arrival in Penang.

I was one of them. I came to Penang dozens of times during the twenty years I have spent so far in Asia. I did it also with the same spirit that seems to be passed down from expat to expat, with the same desire to return as soon as possible, each time seeking the fastest and cheapest way to tackle this ‘journey to hell and back’.

Then one day I asked myself if Penang was really a place so hideous that it does not even deserve that I leave the confinement of Chulia Street. If it was really so boring as for me not to devote even a few days longer than strictly necessary. After all, if UNESCO included George Town in the list of World Heritage places, there must be a reason. And you can find that reason out of a brochure: in Penang, and precisely in the historical city of George Town founded about 200 years ago, there are more than 1700 buildings of historical interest that refer to the various ethnic groups that make up its population: a city whose soul is composed of Chinese, Indians, Arabs, Malays, Acheenese, Thais and Europeans, who live together peacefully and with an absolute mutual respect.

If you walk along Chulia Street with your mind free from the obsession of the visa renewal, you have a totally different picture of the lane that, for several years, I have watched with a gray and sad filter in my eyes. Chulia is a lively and bustling street, a parade of people of all races, a hub for arrivals, meetings and departures. A world of colors, of pungent food smells that follow the visitor from alley to alley, from street to street, almost like a menu of scents that invites you to taste the flavors of a good part of Asia. In the evening, Chulia Street turns into a big open-air restaurant made of stalls offering the most delicious Chinese hawkers food where, with just over 1 Euro, you can eat a hearty noodle soup with soy ravioli and thin slices of pork, and drink a fresh fruit smoothie, getting up from the table with a satisfied feeling. Or you can enjoy a beef stew with red curry and a couple roti dipped in a yellow curry sauce, followed by a spiced coffee prepared according to tradition in a modest and small Indian restaurant, all for about 3 Euro.

All around you are buildings constructed on the old Chinese model, shop-houses where, in their ground floor, craftsmen, mechanics or sellers of various wares carry out their activities. These are shops where various tools or boxes are stored in an orderly disorder, businesses that are invariably protected by altars set with incense, liquor or food used to honour ancestors or pray to the gods. Stores where in the night the owners bring in bicycles, scooters and sometimes, where the space allows, even cars before closing up the shop and moving to the upper floors.

By day, the street comes alive even more and it becomes the pulsating heart of this old corner of Penang. Traffic noise is the only discordant note that is in contrast with what is offered to the eye: markets where all sort of food, fruit, clothes and various knick-knacks are traded. Some houses have peeling walls and faded signs, and others have facades restored with pastel colours, while maintaining a traditional style. There are several coffee shops housed in old and new buildings, interspersed with old restaurants that can be defined ‘historical’ without exaggeration, and old guesthouses, historical as well, where travellers coming from everywhere and watching their pennies can still find a bed in a dormitory rooms for small money.

It is right there, a step away from the guesthouse where I always stay, that you turn a street corner and find yourself, as if by magic, in another country. Little India supplies you with a different image of Penang, at least different from the George Town you expect. The way to dress up a bit sloppy and unkempt of the Chinese gives way to the elegant saris of Indian women; the noise of traffic is covered by a loud music coming out of different stores, creating a Bollywood movie atmosphere, and statues of the Trimurti gods look out at passers by from shop entrances. Different smells, different people, different ways of living, different gods that Muslim Malaysia approve without conditions, consistent with its slogan ‘Malaysia, your second home’.

A ‘chapati‘ and a few steps and you’re already out of Little India, the  Chinese characters are back on shop signs, a mosque seems to be there to remind you that there are also Muslims, after all men in white tunic, Islamic headdress and long beards do not go unnoticed; nor do women dressed in brightly colored tunics enriched with colorful designs, some with a floral decoration made with Henna on the back of the hands, their faces wrapped in those veils that, though denying a hint of coquetry and probably hiding a nice haircut, become frames that enhance nice features in often delicate faces.

I keep on walking until I reach the seafront, where I head towards the wooden piers not far from the ferry to the mainland. Here are houses that belong to fishermen, to merchants, to old Chinese dock workers. Entire families live in wooden buildings on water with altars and temples, their boats docked outside on piers that date back to the 19th century. Living conditions have changed since then: the TV is a must – from some of the houses you can hear out voices of typical Chinese soap operas – and houses are often turned into souvenir shops for tourists, hence this village is now an inescapable tourist destination. Yet the sense of tradition is still alive in these people who live their lives to the rhythm of the tides, their time marked by the sound of the surf under their beds.

How about attractions out of the heart of George Town? The usual brochure suggests 29 destinations spread out in different locations. These are enough to spend at least 10 days in Penang. Local travel agencies offer tours of the island that reach some of the most interesting places, but I prefer a more ‘DIY’ freestyle. I pick two places and I venture out on a local bus. The next morning I head to Batu Feringgi, home of the most beautiful beaches and the higher category hotels. My destination is the Terapung mosque, built on a tongue of land which disappears at high tide and supported by concrete piles extending out to the sea. It is not praying time so I can get around in the public area without creating nuisance. The mosque has a mixed Middle Eastern and local style, with a large prayer hall that can accommodate up to 1500 worshipers, and open spaces where people can stop and sit under gazeboes. Man and women are strictly divided in separate groups both on the prayer hall and on the baths where every good Muslim must make their ablutions before their prayers.

In the afternoon I head to the opposite direction, tossed by the jerky pace of a local bus, and after a 45 minutes torture ride I reach the Temple of Snakes, a Chinese temple that dates back to 1850. An island onto itself, this would just be like the hundreds of similar Chinese temples in Penang, hidden amongst houses and skyscrapers, if it wasn’t for a peculiarity: it is home to an indefinite number of pit vipers living in a semi-free condition. Their bites, according to a temple keeper, are lethal; I politely decline the invitation to a souvenir photo clinging to a python, which I gladly leave it to Japanese tourists, and I observe the vipers. There are 30 of them in one of the rooms, lazily lying on the support beams. They eat once a week, I am told, and after their meal they spend their time motionless in order to properly digest. There are other vipers in the open air, twirling around trees and stones in an area protected by a high wall but still visible by the public.

I move to the sacred area of the temple and, perhaps because it is Saturday, I notice a constant stream of worshippers who light incense, pray and make their offerings to the altars, being almost covered in the process by a blanket of smoke produced by the several incenses and candles lit. A kid accompanied by his father burns some paper with printed Chinese symbols in a furnace: “this is paper money that we send to our deceased ancestors so that they can use it in the afterlife”, he explains in plain English. A sort of Wester Union in paradise; always quite practical people, the Chinese.

I leave the temple satisfied, yet there is one more surprise in store for me. To my left there is an attracting tower painted in peach decorated by statues of all kinds; it is an Indian temple that is not mentioned in the brochures. By it entrance, a decorator patiently paints over a statue of God Shiva; inside, amongst colourful statues of deities leaning on walls of a bright grey, a teacher educates smiling young disciples who, sitting on the ground around him, listen with expressions of interest. I immerse myself in this orgy of colors, quite a hitting scene after the predominant reds of Chinese temples.

The day draws to a close and I prepare myself for another shaky 45 minutes bus ride back. The day comes to an end and so does my short stay in Penang, a place that no matter how many times I have seen it, I realise I have just begun to know. My next visa run is scheduled for January, but this time I think I will not be so much in a hurry…

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