Little India, Singapore

Little India
Name transcription(s)
• Chinese	小印度
• Pinyin	Xiǎo Yìndù
• Tamil	லிட்டில் இந்தியா
Shophouses in Little India
Little India Location of Little India within Singapore
Coordinates: 1°18′28″N 103°51′9″E / 1.30778°N 103.85250°E / 1.30778; 103.85250Coordinates: 1°18′28″N 103°51′9″E / 1.30778°N 103.85250°E / 1.30778; 103.85250
Country	Singapore

Little India (Tamil: லிட்டில் இந்தியா) is an ethnic district in Singapore. It is located east of the Singapore River—across from Chinatown, located west of the river—and north of Kampong Glam. Both areas are part of the urban planning area of Rochor. Little India is commonly known as Tekka in the Indian Singaporean community.

Little India is distinct from the Chulia Kampong area, which, under the Raffles Plan of Singapore, was originally a division of colonial Singapore where ethnic Indian immigrants would reside under the British policy of ethnic segregation. However, as Chulia Kampong became more crowded and competition for land escalated, many ethnic Indians moved into what is now known as Little India. (The Chulia Kampong district no longer exists as a distinct area.)

The Little India area is reported to have developed around a former settlement for Indian convicts. Its location along the Serangoon River originally made it attractive for raising cattle, and trade in livestock was once prominent in the area. Eventually, other economic activity developed, and by the turn of the 20th century, the area began to look like an ethnic Indian neighbourhood.

Little India was the site of a two-hour-long riot that occurred on 8 December 2013, after a man was killed in a traffic accident. 27 people were injured, and 40 people were arrested.

Although ethnic Indians no longer tend to stay solely segregated in one place as previously arranged under the modern People's Action Party (PAP) policy of racial harmony, for the sake of cultural heritage, many of the ethnically Indian commercial or cottage industry usages are concentrated in Little India, although Indian-dominant commercial zones are also found in HDB estates. Contrary to stereotypes, Little India is not solely an Indian neighbourhood. Located in the neighbourhood alongside shops that cater predominantly to the Indians are Chinese clan associations, places of worship of different religions, and a variety of different business ranging from electrical supplies, hardware, second-hand goods alongside traditional spice grinders and grocers. One of the more prominent examples of cross-cultural patronage besides those regarding food is that many Chinese parents go to shops in Little India to grind rice to make congee for infants. The machinery utilised in this instance was initially flown in from India to grind spices into powder for use in Indian cuisine. Little India differs from many other neighbourhoods in Singapore in many ways. Tekka Market is also multi-cultural, with produce and sundries that cater to the many ethnic groups in Singapore.