Little India-a Taste Of South India

Singapore is home to multitudes of ethnicities such as Taoists

, Chinese, Indian and Malays. It is also home to a sizeable population of expatriates; in fact, it is one of the largest expatriate communities in the world. Each year, hundreds of immigrants arrive to these shores looking for better opportunities and a brighter future.

Once you travel east of Singapore River, across from Chinatown, the urban relief changes to a Little India. As the name portends it is flourished by an exclusive Tamil community. You can reach the town by the North-East MRT line' and get off at Little India or Farrer Park stations, near Serangoon Road. MRT lines are probably the most convenient way to get around. The town is said to have been formed originally by a group of Tamil convicts, today Little India and its unique community is provisioned under the People's Action Party (PAP) with a policy to preserve racial accord.

There are great, Indian restaurants and eateries serving authentic South India cuisine. You must try eating rice and curry off a banana leaf while you are here. The town has a quaint small town feel to it and buildings that would not look out of place in South India. It makes a stroll down this place quite enthusing. You can buy anything pertaining to Tamil culture such as cooking ingredients, utensils, Tamil clothing and more. The streets emanate of sandalwood, jasmine, saffron and other spices. The central streets of Little India are packed with stalls selling all sorts of Indian goods: shops selling ethnic jewelry, silk saris, silverware, brassware and even garlands. Visit the Little India Cultural Corner in Little India Arcade for a lesson in traditional Tamil artifacts. The place displays traditional items and has signs explaining the use and significance of the items. Walk into a garland shop and watch while they assemble jasmine flowers into beautiful garlands; these garlands are used in festivals, to adorn shrines and even garland statuettes. You can even have a go at getting your hands adorned in beautiful designs using Mehndi.

Abdul Gaffoor Mosque is a stately exhibit featuring the elaborate styles of Arabian and Renaissance architecture. The temple of 1000 lights is another famous attraction in Little India but there are many more temples for sight-seers such as the Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple and Sri Vadapathira Kaliamman Temple that are magnificent structures in their own right. The Leon San See Temple is a Buddhist temple and is a great way to see some Singaporean Chinese Architecture. Portraying the influence of Catholicism in the Tamil community, old Methodist churches can be found such as Foochow Methodist Church and Kampong Kapor Methodist Church.

An ideal time to visit Little India would be during Deepavali, festival of lights, when streets and shops are all lit up and Tamils flock to the streets to do their shopping in preparation for the event. Thaipusam festival, that usually takes place in the former months of the year, is also celebrated in Little India with male devotees hanging shrines to their bodies with the use of hooks and walking in a procession all day long along with the festival famous for devotees walking across a carpet of burning coal. This is called Thimithi. Timed right, witnessing such an experience will make a visit to Little India unforgettable.

During your stay in Singapore, a Sentosa resort could serve you well as an accommodation that is in environs of wondrous Singapore, giving access to many of the cities favourite attractions and being just a hop away from Universal Studios. This luxury resort Sentosa is dedicated to travelers visiting on business and leisure. The Rasa Sentosa Resort Singapore has all the comforts and conveniences you can expect for in a star class hotel.

by: Pushpitha Wijesinghe

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