Little India Arcade

Discovery Travel channel found our way to a very interesting place. Little India Arcade as the place is called is a unique cluster of shop house buildings which were first built in 1913, at the tail end of colonial Singapore and has been preserved till today.

Right outside the entrance of Little India Arcade!

Located very near Little India MRT and opposite the current Tekka centre, the place is home to a variety of neatly, renovated novelty shops and eateries. The building has been carefully preserved to capture the essence of the early Indian settlement which occupied the area during colonial times. The winding alleys in the arcade host Indian bric-a-brac stalls, curio and sweet shops, restaurants, and bookshops. A prominent landmark in the Little India district, it is a favourite haunt of tourists and locals looking for best Indian buys.

Now owned by the Hindu Endowments Board, the conserved building pays tribute in its design to the different geographical origins of Indians who make up the community in Singapore. One plaque dated 1826-1827 on a pillar at the corner of Hastings Road and Serangoon Road refers to immigrants from Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

The array of items sold at Little India Arcade such as accessories and gifts.

Traditional Indian Sweets for sale. These sweets are not sold widely around town.

Close-up of an animal head that sits atop a plaque dated 1826-1827. It is a reminder of the cattle related trade activities in the area then.​

A zoomed in portion of the tow plaque that shows "1828"

Discovery Travel bite facts:

What is the address of this cluster of buildings?

48 Serangoon Road

How old are the buildings?

The building dates back to 1913 and would be 98 years old by now after restoration works! 

There are two tow plaques that one can find at the Little India Arcade.  The first plaque is seen on a pillar at the corner of Hastings and Serangoon Road. The second is found on the corner of Campbell lane and Serangoon Road. The plagues are written in Tamil and the first tell us about the people who came to work here from Kerala and Tamil Nadu and has an animal head which is believed to represent a cow or a buffalo. It serves as a reminder of the cattle trade activities in the area. The second plaque has inscriptions referring to the ‘burning ground’ (probably refers to cremation) belonging to the ‘Hindoo people of Madras and Singapore’.

Discovery fun fact:

Did you know that the Little India arcade was awarded the “Architectural Heritage Award”  in 1996 by the Urban Redevelopment Authority as part of its heritage recognition and conservation efforts?

Development and conservation:

The 1960s and 1970s saw many Indians moving out of Little India as they found housing either in the newly built HDB public housing or private estates. This was especially so with the clearance of slum in the 1970s. Thus, Little India became more of a centre of commerce for Indians all across Singapore. In the 1980s, several public housing projects in the area were completed, including those of Zhujiao Centre and Rowell Court. In 1989, Little India's significance as a part of Singapore history was recognised when it was gazetted as a conservation site. 

References:

http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_1456_2009-02-11.html

http://littleindiaarcade.com.sg/