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Little India is a historical precinct in Singapore that took shape in the 19th century along Serangoon Road, where early watercourses and swamplands near the Rochor–Serangoon River corridor supported cattle bathing and fodder, drawing livestock trading and related occupations to the area.[1][2][3] European residents and facilities, including the mid‑1840s race course at what is now Farrer Park, anchored early settlement patterns, while Indian migrant workers employed in brick kilns and later in cattle rearing established enduring communities that gradually gave the district its **South Asian** character.[1][3][5]
Colonial era origins
Serangoon Road, marked on an 1828 town map as a “road leading across the island,” became an early arterial spine for movement and trade, making the surrounding low‑lying terrain practical for agro‑pastoral uses in the 19th century.[1][3] The area’s toponymy and landmarks—such as Dunlop and Clive streets reflecting European residents, and later references to cattle commerce—trace the layered colonial imprint on the neighbourhood’s growth.[1][2]
Cattle trade and settlement
From the 1840s, cattle trading expanded with access to water and grazing, attracting Indian specialists in rearing, transport, and butchery who formed occupational networks and small enterprises around Serangoon Road.[1][3] Figures associated with the trade, like I. R. Belilios, are memorialised in local street names, illustrating how commerce and community formation intertwined in the district’s early economy.[1][2]
Environmental change and demographic shift
With progressive drainage and reclamation of swamps in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, European cattle interests relocated, but Indian workers and traders remained, consolidating a predominantly Indian residential and commercial enclave.[2][1] By the early 20th century, the precinct’s identity reflected both its pastoral past and a growing concentration of South Asian religious, social, and mercantile institutions.[2][5]
Postwar transformation
In the decades after World War II, Serangoon Road and adjacent streets intensified as retail and services hubs serving Indian and wider communities, even as urban renewal targeted overcrowded housing in the broader area.[3][5] Heritage recognition and later conservation initiatives preserved significant shophouse streetscapes and historic urban form while accommodating commercial evolution.[5][1]
Naming and conservation
“Little India” became the prevailing name in the 1980s amid efforts to identify and promote Singapore’s historic ethnic districts for preservation and cultural tourism, reframing Serangoon’s long‑standing South Asian character within official discourse.[5][1] Subsequent heritage trails and interpretive programs codified the precinct’s historical narratives, emphasizing its 19th‑century origins, trade histories, and community institutions.[5][3]
Citations:
[1] Little India - Singapore - NLB https://www.nlb.gov.sg/main/article-detail?cmsuuid=5daa9fec-5726-4b74-af78-fed5ee468bdb
[2] Little India, Singapore - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_India,_Singapore
[3] Once Upon a Time in Little India - Roots.sg https://www.roots.gov.sg/stories-landing/stories/Once-Upon-a-Time-in-Little-India
[4] Timeline of Singaporean history - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Singaporean_history
[5] Little India: A Cultural and Historical Precinct - Roots.sg https://www.roots.gov.sg/stories-landing/stories/little-india-a-cultural-and-historical-precinct/story
[6] A history of Singapore: a timeline of events - The Telegraph https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/discover-singapore/history-timeline/
[7] Experience the Culture and Charm of Little India Singapore https://www.gastrotravelogue.com/travel/destinations/asia/singapore/discovering-little-india-in-singapore/
Under the modern People’s Action Party (PAP) policy of racial integration, Little India is deemed as a historical landmark. Many Indian businesses and cottage industries remain concentrated in Little India for the purpose of preserving cultural heritage. However, Little India is not the only zone in Singapore with a significant South Asian population, and Indian-dominant commercial zones can also be found in various Housing and Development Board (HDB) estates.
Little India is also home to Chinese Clan Associations, places of worship for various religions, and a range of businesses, including those selling electrical supplies, hardware, second-hand goods, and traditional items such as spice grinders and groceries.[3]
Little India is the center of Deepavali (Diwali) celebrations in Singapore.[4][5] Since 1989, the Deepavali light-up has taken place along Serangoon Road, covering over two kilometers with decorative lights. The Indian Heritage Centre organizes the Deepavali Open House, which includes cultural performances, rangoli workshops, and bus tours of the decorated areas.[4] A seasonal bazaar, known as the Deepavali Festival Village, features stalls selling traditional clothing, food, and household items. Celebrations typically conclude on Deepavali day, with some activities continuing into early November.[6]
Little India is also home to several art houses. In 1985, the National Arts Council launched the Arts Housing Scheme, aimed at identifying and renovating old buildings for arts and cultural activities. A line of shophouses along Kerbau Road were designated for the project, and the area is currently known as the Little India Arts Belt. As of 2011, there are seven arts organizations in the Belt. Three are contemporary theatre companies, while the other organizations involve traditional arts such as Malay dance and Indian theatre.[9]
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