Little India. As it names, this city is a center of Indian community in Singapore. Unlike the other cities in Singapore, the place has its own identity. When you are here, soon you will find this place is the most attractive and colorful place in Singapore. You can hear the sound of cycle bells, horns, and people talking here. It makes a weird sensation that you are somewhere in India, not in Singapore.
Walk through Serangoon Road, you will find many stalls offer Indian ornaments. Need Ayurveda massage oil? You can find it easily here. You can also find incense, gold, and sari sold on the stalls. If you do not know what sari is, it is a traditional South Asian female garment consists of a drape that is typically wrapped around the waist, with one end draped over the shoulder (thanks to Wikipedia). The color is vary, include gold, pink, orange, maroon, brown, and yellow which looks eye catching.
There are two main attraction that you should not miss here. The first is Thaipusam festival, a religious celebration dedicated to Lord Murugan, the God of war by Hindus. This festival is usually held yearly on the full moon of the Tamil month of Thai (Usually January/ February). The Indian male devotees attach ornate shrines to their flesh with kavadi and walk across town in a day-long procession. Meanwhile, the female carry a pot of milk on their head during the procession.
The other festival called as Deepavali, a festival of light. The festival symbolize the triumph of good over evil, light over darkness. Serangoon Road is decorated with many of lights, make the road looks colorful and beautiful. Each doorway has a beautiful-colored picture created of floor, rice, or flower petals in the form of a geometric pattern, a floral shape, or other animals or nature representation. The festival is held in October/ November, based on Lunar calendar.
Make sure to book hotels near little India Singapore, when you intend to enjoy the excitement of the festivals. There are many hotels that you can choose, start from star one to star four hotels. Prepare your best camera since you won't miss the beauty of little India. Enjoy!
