- Little India, Singapore
SG neighbourhood
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englishname=Little India
tamilname=லிட்டில் இந்தியா
chinesename=小印度
poj=
pengim=
pinyin=Xiǎo Yìndù
malayname=Little India""'Little India is an ethnic neighbourhood found inSingapore that hasIndia n cultural elements. Little India lies to east of theSingapore River —across from Chinatown, located west of the river—and north ofKampong Glam . Both areas are part of the urban planning area ofRochor .Little India is distinct from the
Chulia Kampong area, which, under theRaffles Plan of Singapore , was originally a division of colonial Singapore where Indianimmigrant s would reside under the British policy of ethnic segregation. However, as Chulia Kampong became more crowded and competition for land escalated, many ethnic Indians moved into what is now known as Little India. (The Chulia Kampong district no longer exists as a distinct area.)The Little India area is reported to have developed around a former settlement for Indian
convict s. Its location along theSerangoon River originally made it attractive for raising cattle, and trade in livestock was once prominent in the area. Eventually, other economic activity developed, and by the turn of the 20th century, the area began to look like an Indian ethnic neighbourhood.Although ethnic Indians no longer tend to stay solely segregated in one place as previously arranged under the modern
People's Action Party (PAP) policy of racial harmony, for the sake of cultural heritage, many of the ethnically Indian commercial orcottage industry usages are concentrated in Little India, although Indian-dominant commercial zones are also found inHDB estates. This neighbourhood has the patronage of people of all races who wish to eat or buy something specific to Indian culture, such ascurry or Indianclothing . One of the more prominent examples of cross-cultural patronage besides those regarding food is that many Chinese parents go to shops in Little India to grindrice to makecongee forinfant s. In such cases, the shops have machinery primarily meant to grindspices into powder for use inIndian cuisine .Serangoon Road is the main commercial thoroughfare in Little India. It intersectsRochor Canal Road and Bukit Timah Sungei Road. Along Serangoon Road is the Tekka Centre, the Tekka Mall, the Little India Arcade, Serangoon Plaza, and theMustafa Centre (on a side-road). Farrer Park Fields is located in the district. Several Hindu temples, mosques, and other place of worship include Foochow Methodist Church, Kampong Kapor Methodist Church,Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple , Angullia Mosque,Sri Vadapathira Kaliamman Temple , Jalan Mosque, and the CentralSikh Gurdwara. TheAbdul Gafoor Mosque , built in 1859 and named after a South Indianlawyer 'sclerk , featuresArabian - andRenaissance -style architecture. Its prayer hall, decorated with Moorish arch-work, displays a tableau featuring the history of the Islamic religion. TheSri Srinivasa Perumal Temple , along Serangoon Road, features a highgopuram (tower), and was built in 1855. TheBuddhist Sakyamuni Buddha Gaya Temple, also along Serangoon Road, originally established by Thai monk Vuthisasara in 1927. Leong San See Temple is dedicated to Guanyin, the Chinese Boddhisattva of Mercy.Little India's Petain Road, named after French Marshal
Henri Pétain , was built in 1916 on a drainedswamp , and features examples of Singaporean Chinese architecture.The area is served by the following MRT stations: Little India,and Farrer Park
External links
*wikitravel
* [http://www.visitsingapore.com/publish/stbportal/en/home/getting_around/tours_in_singapore/walking_tours/little_india.html Uniquely Singapore website]
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