Shopping & districts
Little India
Little India is an ethnic enclave in Singapore located east of the Singapore River, across from Chinatown, and north of Kampong Glam. Little India is commonly known as Tekka among the Indian Singaporean community. The precinct is notable for its markets, including the Tekka Market, and the festivals it hosts throughout the year, such as Deepavali and Thaipusam.
What it is
Little India is Singapore's historic South Indian quarter, centred on Serangoon Road and known locally as Tekka. It's a working neighbourhood rather than a curated attraction: shophouses selling gold jewellery, garland flowers, spices, saris and religious items sit alongside the covered Tekka Market, which combines a wet market, produce stalls and a hawker food centre. Come here for the sensory density — incense, marigold garlands, Bollywood music from shopfronts — and for South Indian food, from banana-leaf rice to fresh dosai. Colourful Hindu temples and mosques are woven into the streets rather than set apart.
Getting there
Little India MRT station (on the North East and Downtown lines) sits in the middle of the district, and it's a short walk from Farrer Park station as well. From central areas like Orchard Road or the Marina Bay/City Hall area, the MRT ride is roughly 15-20 minutes. Taxis and ride-hailing apps are also straightforward, though Serangoon Road itself can be congested with traffic.
Time to allow
Plan on 2 to 3 hours to walk the main streets, browse Tekka Market and stop for a meal. Add extra time if you want to linger at a temple or mosque, or sit down for a longer meal rather than grazing.
When to go
Streets are liveliest in the early evening, when shops and food stalls are all open and lit up. It gets especially crowded on weekends and during major festivals such as Deepavali and Thaipusam, when the area is decorated and packed with visitors — worth seeing for the atmosphere, but expect slow walking and larger crowds. Weekday mornings are quieter if you prefer to explore at an easier pace.
Combine it with
- Masjid Abdul Gaffoor (0.4km) — an easy add-on within the same walk.
- Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple (0.7km) — a short walk further, one of the district's key Hindu temples.
- Masjid Malabar (0.8km) and Masjid Sultan (1km) — both within comfortable walking distance, and Masjid Sultan sits near Kampong Glam if you want to extend the walk into that district.
Sources: open data from Wikipedia and OpenStreetMap · Updated August 5, 2026 · Edited by the World by City editors
