Buffalos, Goddesses & Garlands

In her previous contributions in Expat Living, CERI POWELL has taken us on guided tours around Fort Canning Park and along the Singapore River. This time, she turns her attention to one of the island's most vibrant and colourful neighbourhoods: Little India.

- CERI POWELL

Getting Started

This walk covers a distance of 2.2km and will take approximately 50 minutes - or longer if you pause more often to take photos and to soak in the atmosphere! The walk starts and ends at Little India MRT station. As you exit the MRT, take a left into Buffalo Road.

Location #1

Little India, formerly known as Serangoon, got its name from the Malay word "saranggong", possibly after a marsh bird called ranggong. The mangrove swamps made this area ideal for cattle rearing, with bathing areas for water buffaloes; they were the "workhorses" of Singapore at that time, used to transport gambier and pepper from plantations south to the river for export. Buffalo Road marks the area of the historical Kampong Kerbau ("Buffalo Village" in Malay).

Location #2

Along Buffalo Road, garland-makers weave roses, marigolds, and jasmine flowers into temple garlands for sale. The red, yellow, and white colours of these flowers symbolize love, peace, and purity. The scent is heavenly, mixed with the aroma of tropical fruits imported from India.

Cross over Serangoon Road; today, it's the main artery of Little India, and it was also the first road to cross Singapore island before 1828. Indian businessmen and workers were drawn to Serangoon by the production of lime, a raw ingredient used in a gleaming white plaster from India known as "Madras chunam". The plaster was used to coat the government and religious buildings of the Civic District. St Andrew's Cathedral bears testament today to the dramatic effect!

Location #3