My group and I were pretty excited when we got the option of going to Little India. We looked forward to our usual practice of going for threading and eating awesome Indian food. But this time round, although we did eat awesome Indian food, we ended up learning so much more about this place than we actually expected. I have been going to Little India for as long as I can remember but I have never realised that there was so much history behind this place until now.
What I thought would be an easy trail to complete, eventually ended up being an eye-opening one for me. Every road name had a history to it and I was quite shocked to realise that Buffalo Road used to be a cattle rearing area and Race Course Road used to be a horse-racing area. On top of that, it was truly amazing to find out that this area, which is now predominantly patronized by Indians, used to be a melting pot for the various religions. The presence of the Church of True Light, Abdul Gafoor Mosque and even the Sakya Muni Buddha Gaya temple made me aware of how culturally rich this place used to be way back in time.
Despite being burned by the sun, drenched by the sudden rain and drawing weird stares from onlookers, with the completion of this trail, I was satisfied with how much more the girls and I knew about Little India. The sights of fortune-tellers and colourful sarees,the sounds of blaring music and temple bells and the smell of an array of spices makes Little India distinct and unique to itself and I am very satisfied that I now know the rich history behind this place.
Looks like Little India is not so little after all!
Deepa
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Individual Reflection
The Little India heritage trail was certainly an eye-opener for me. Even though I’ve been there countless times (mostly to enjoy the yummy Indian cuisine), I failed to realise the unique and rich cultural heritage that the place possess. Through this trail, I not only discovered the history of certain roads and national monuments, I also learnt how various communities and people lived harmoniously together.
I was astounded to find out that there were so many places of worship that caters to not only the Hindus but also to other religions such as Christianity and Islam. E.g. Church of True Light and the Abdul Gafoor Mosque. The various places of worship were also in close proximity to each other. This showed that though Little India was originally designated for the Indian community, the people of various races and religion still cultivated a sense of openness and understanding for each other. I also enjoyed observing how each Indian temple was uniquely designed. I realised that some temples looked much simpler than others. For example the Sakya Muni Buddha Gaya Temple was very plain looking. It looked like any other building. However, other temples such as the Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple had more detailed architectural designs.
It was also interesting to note that places which is now filled with jewellery and textile shops was once a place where people used to rear cattles such as bulls and cows. E.g. Kerbau Road. I would have never thought of that! The large array of sari shops also showed me that the Indian community were largely involved in the Textile industry. I was also fascinated when I read up on how lowly immigrants such as P Govindasamy Pillai who came to Singapore with just 13 Rupees, struggled greatly to eventually be titled the King of Textile industry. Amazing!
With the knowledge of what Little India used to be in History, I would definitely enjoy the vibrant sounds and sights of the place so much more today than I did before. As a teacher, I might bring my students to Little India to teach inculcate values such as living harmoniously with all the different races. It will also be interesting for them to learn about all the monuments there.
Smitha
I was astounded to find out that there were so many places of worship that caters to not only the Hindus but also to other religions such as Christianity and Islam. E.g. Church of True Light and the Abdul Gafoor Mosque. The various places of worship were also in close proximity to each other. This showed that though Little India was originally designated for the Indian community, the people of various races and religion still cultivated a sense of openness and understanding for each other. I also enjoyed observing how each Indian temple was uniquely designed. I realised that some temples looked much simpler than others. For example the Sakya Muni Buddha Gaya Temple was very plain looking. It looked like any other building. However, other temples such as the Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple had more detailed architectural designs.
It was also interesting to note that places which is now filled with jewellery and textile shops was once a place where people used to rear cattles such as bulls and cows. E.g. Kerbau Road. I would have never thought of that! The large array of sari shops also showed me that the Indian community were largely involved in the Textile industry. I was also fascinated when I read up on how lowly immigrants such as P Govindasamy Pillai who came to Singapore with just 13 Rupees, struggled greatly to eventually be titled the King of Textile industry. Amazing!
With the knowledge of what Little India used to be in History, I would definitely enjoy the vibrant sounds and sights of the place so much more today than I did before. As a teacher, I might bring my students to Little India to teach inculcate values such as living harmoniously with all the different races. It will also be interesting for them to learn about all the monuments there.
Smitha
Individual Reflection
The little India trail was indeed a fun and engaging one which I enjoyed tremendously. I have been to Little India so many times before be it for shopping or threading and thought that going on the trail and figuring the history behind the places would have been an easy task for me but I was wrong. I came across places which I never thought existed in Little India for example, I never came across places like the Chinese villa before and I also learnt a lot of new things like realizing the fact that little India was not a place predominated only by the Indians before but different races also resided and made a living there. Though it rained the trail was definitely a new experience for all of us as each of us made a special discovery about the place.
Little India is really rich in its historical background and now I have a new found appreciation for the place. For example, one of the special discoveries I made was the fact that there were so many places of worship other than the Hindu temples in the past. The fact that there were also Chinese temples (Leong San See Temple), mosques (Abdul Gafoor Mosque) churches (Church of True Light) and also Buddhist Temples (Sakya Muni Buddha Gaya Temple) in Little India in the past goes to show that the place was racially and religiously harmonious and rich. This just goes to show that our racially harmonious society began right even before the 1950s.
Moreover, I realized that every road we came across had a historically rich background to it. For example, Buffalo Road was really used for cattle rearing activities in the past! And also Campbell Lane was named after Sir Colin Campbell who played a significant part in military campaigns such as the Sikh War. Every single road and lane had an intriguing story behind it and this was of great interest to me and my group mates.
Overall, I am very pleased to have been on this trail and feel that it was a good learning journey for me. I would also organize such trails for my students in future as it was not only exciting but also educational. I feel that going on this trail and personally making discoveries about it makes a greater impact on a learner as the individual is personally engaged in the process of learning. I also feel that it strengthened the bond I had with my group mates and made me a better team player as each of us tried to keep the spirit high and be enthusiastic about the trail despite the rainy weather.
Salimah Haniffa (:
Little India is really rich in its historical background and now I have a new found appreciation for the place. For example, one of the special discoveries I made was the fact that there were so many places of worship other than the Hindu temples in the past. The fact that there were also Chinese temples (Leong San See Temple), mosques (Abdul Gafoor Mosque) churches (Church of True Light) and also Buddhist Temples (Sakya Muni Buddha Gaya Temple) in Little India in the past goes to show that the place was racially and religiously harmonious and rich. This just goes to show that our racially harmonious society began right even before the 1950s.
Moreover, I realized that every road we came across had a historically rich background to it. For example, Buffalo Road was really used for cattle rearing activities in the past! And also Campbell Lane was named after Sir Colin Campbell who played a significant part in military campaigns such as the Sikh War. Every single road and lane had an intriguing story behind it and this was of great interest to me and my group mates.
Overall, I am very pleased to have been on this trail and feel that it was a good learning journey for me. I would also organize such trails for my students in future as it was not only exciting but also educational. I feel that going on this trail and personally making discoveries about it makes a greater impact on a learner as the individual is personally engaged in the process of learning. I also feel that it strengthened the bond I had with my group mates and made me a better team player as each of us tried to keep the spirit high and be enthusiastic about the trail despite the rainy weather.
Salimah Haniffa (:
Individual Reflections -Quintal
Little India is a second home to many of us Indians residing here in Singapore. It is after all the closest thing to our motherland, India. Personally, Little India is one of the very few places in Singapore that I thought I knew very well. I have been going to Little India since I was very young, whether on the pretext of buying our marketing, to eating good Indian food to buying intricate jewellery and saris. However, much to my surprise, there were more to Little India than I originally thought of. Before the heritage trail, I was confident that I would complete this trail in one hour. Little did I know that what I thought little India was to me, was actually a whole lot bigger and rich in culture, traditions and history.
In the trail, I discovered Little India was packed with historical monuments and meanings. For example, I had visited the Shree Lakshmi Narayanan Temple many times for prayer ceremonies, but I never knew the history behind this temple, the meaning of the dome shaped structure and its origins. Through this heritage trail, I learnt that there was a meaning to why certain temples were built differently. For example, the southern Indian temples such as the Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple is a tall and high structure that has many intricate designs and status of the deities. The explanation was so that Indians from far away could see their deities and pray to them. In the other hand, the northern Indian temple, Shree Lakshmi Narayanan Temple has a very simple structure of a beehive dome on the top called, Shikhara.
It was truly an enlightening experience for me. Also, not only does Little India have many Indian temples around, there were temples of other faith and religion in Little India, showing the harmonious living conditions of the past 1950s.For example, there is a church, a Muslim temple, a Buddhist temple and a Chinese temple all located close to each other. This shows that the Indian people residing in Little India were very open and lived harmoniously with people of other religions and believes. This I believes has not changed from the past as Singaporeans today have grown together to be more open and tolerant other each other’s faith and believes.
Furthermore, in this trail, my group and I had visited various roads that had information of the historical background of the site in the past. It was surprising to learn that certain roads had a history so rich in detail in the past. Like for example, Race Course Road, was originally a place where horse racing took place mainly for the Europeans whereby the Indians were horse trainers. This horse racing business attracted many Europeans who settled down in Singapore, such as Major Samuel Dunlop, and therefore the road where he had settled down was named after him, Dunlop Road.
Lastly, one of the most prominent sites I visited was the Chinese villa or the residence of Tan Teng Niah. This house was the last surviving Chinese villas in Little India. I never knew that there were any Chinese villas that existed in the past and it was nice to know that the last surviving villa still stands today. It was a great pleasure to come to know such history behind a small part of Little India.
Overall, I was very satisfied with the experience of the trials, I was very amazed with the abundant knowledge I had learnt and was thrilled to know that Little India was more than just shopping paradise for us Indians, but instead it is a small part of Singapore with great historical background and monuments still around.
In the trail, I discovered Little India was packed with historical monuments and meanings. For example, I had visited the Shree Lakshmi Narayanan Temple many times for prayer ceremonies, but I never knew the history behind this temple, the meaning of the dome shaped structure and its origins. Through this heritage trail, I learnt that there was a meaning to why certain temples were built differently. For example, the southern Indian temples such as the Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple is a tall and high structure that has many intricate designs and status of the deities. The explanation was so that Indians from far away could see their deities and pray to them. In the other hand, the northern Indian temple, Shree Lakshmi Narayanan Temple has a very simple structure of a beehive dome on the top called, Shikhara.
It was truly an enlightening experience for me. Also, not only does Little India have many Indian temples around, there were temples of other faith and religion in Little India, showing the harmonious living conditions of the past 1950s.For example, there is a church, a Muslim temple, a Buddhist temple and a Chinese temple all located close to each other. This shows that the Indian people residing in Little India were very open and lived harmoniously with people of other religions and believes. This I believes has not changed from the past as Singaporeans today have grown together to be more open and tolerant other each other’s faith and believes.
Furthermore, in this trail, my group and I had visited various roads that had information of the historical background of the site in the past. It was surprising to learn that certain roads had a history so rich in detail in the past. Like for example, Race Course Road, was originally a place where horse racing took place mainly for the Europeans whereby the Indians were horse trainers. This horse racing business attracted many Europeans who settled down in Singapore, such as Major Samuel Dunlop, and therefore the road where he had settled down was named after him, Dunlop Road.
Lastly, one of the most prominent sites I visited was the Chinese villa or the residence of Tan Teng Niah. This house was the last surviving Chinese villas in Little India. I never knew that there were any Chinese villas that existed in the past and it was nice to know that the last surviving villa still stands today. It was a great pleasure to come to know such history behind a small part of Little India.
Overall, I was very satisfied with the experience of the trials, I was very amazed with the abundant knowledge I had learnt and was thrilled to know that Little India was more than just shopping paradise for us Indians, but instead it is a small part of Singapore with great historical background and monuments still around.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Shree Lakshi Narayan Temple (Optional)
While open to all Hindus, this temple is mainly patronized by North Indians who built it. This temple is thus built in the North Indian architectural style (contrast that to other Hindu temples you've visited).
We found that this temple was very plain and did not have intricate designs like the other Hindu temples. We were amazed to find that it was even a temple as it looked so plain that we assumed it was any other building. The colours were also plain and there was only muted colours.
What is the name of the beehive-shaped tower?
It is called the Kalish.
How different are the gateways?
The gateways, like mentioned above were really simple and did not put across explicitly that it was a temple. Other Hindu temples that we went to had extravagant gateways such as glossy wooden doors with multiple bells. However, this temple only had a plain black gate.
We found that this temple was very plain and did not have intricate designs like the other Hindu temples. We were amazed to find that it was even a temple as it looked so plain that we assumed it was any other building. The colours were also plain and there was only muted colours.
What is the name of the beehive-shaped tower?
It is called the Kalish.
How different are the gateways?
The gateways, like mentioned above were really simple and did not put across explicitly that it was a temple. Other Hindu temples that we went to had extravagant gateways such as glossy wooden doors with multiple bells. However, this temple only had a plain black gate.
Sakya Muni Buddha Gaya Temple (Optional)
This temple has both Chinese and Hindu devotees. What statues of deities can you find inside the temple?
We can find statues of Buddha and other fascinating relics such as barks of 'holy' trees.
When was it built and by whom?
It was built by Venerable Vutthisasara in 1927.
We can find statues of Buddha and other fascinating relics such as barks of 'holy' trees.
When was it built and by whom?
It was built by Venerable Vutthisasara in 1927.
Leong San See Temple
What is the meaning of the name of the temple?
It means Dragon Mountain Temple.
When was it established and by whom?
It was established in 1913 by Reverend Chuan Wu.
Which deity is the temple dedicated to?
It is dedicated to the Goddess of Mercy, Kwan Yin.
What school was established by the abbot of the temple in 1925?
The Leaong San School or otherwise known as School of Eternal Brightness was established by the abbot of the temple in 1925.
It means Dragon Mountain Temple.
When was it established and by whom?
It was established in 1913 by Reverend Chuan Wu.
Which deity is the temple dedicated to?
It is dedicated to the Goddess of Mercy, Kwan Yin.
What school was established by the abbot of the temple in 1925?
The Leaong San School or otherwise known as School of Eternal Brightness was established by the abbot of the temple in 1925.
Race Course Road
What do the name of Race Course Road (and the names of the nearby streets) suggest about this area?
It suggests that racing activities (probably horse racing) took place in this area.
When was the Race Course opened?
It was opened in 1843.
It suggests that racing activities (probably horse racing) took place in this area.
When was the Race Course opened?
It was opened in 1843.
Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple
When was this temple built and by whom?
It was built in 1855 by Narasimhaloo Naidu.
What was it originally known as?
It was orignially known as Sri Narasimha Perumal temple.
What kind of architectural style is the temple built in?
It is built in a Dravidian architectural style.
Who is the temple dedicated to?
The temple is dedicated to Krishna, on of the incarnations of Vishnu. Perumal is another name for Krishna.
It was built in 1855 by Narasimhaloo Naidu.
What was it originally known as?
It was orignially known as Sri Narasimha Perumal temple.
What kind of architectural style is the temple built in?
It is built in a Dravidian architectural style.
Who is the temple dedicated to?
The temple is dedicated to Krishna, on of the incarnations of Vishnu. Perumal is another name for Krishna.
Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple
When was this built and by whom?
It was built in 1855 by Indian labourers. However, it was originally built in wood.
*****What kind of architectural style is the temple built in?
Who is it dedicated to?
It is dedicated to the Hindu Goddess Kaliamman who is the Goddess of Power and the wife of Lord Shiva.
What was the original name of the temple?
It was originally known as Sunnambu Kambam Kovil or in other words, "Temple of the village of Lime".
It was built in 1855 by Indian labourers. However, it was originally built in wood.
*****What kind of architectural style is the temple built in?
Who is it dedicated to?
It is dedicated to the Hindu Goddess Kaliamman who is the Goddess of Power and the wife of Lord Shiva.
What was the original name of the temple?
It was originally known as Sunnambu Kambam Kovil or in other words, "Temple of the village of Lime".
Church of the True Light ( Optional)
This church was built in 1952 at 25-G Perak Road for which communities?
The church was built for Heng Hua and Hock Chew chinese clans.
The church was built for Heng Hua and Hock Chew chinese clans.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Abdul Gafoor Mosque (National Monument)
What is the address of the mosque?
No. 41, Dunlop Street
When was the original mosque built?
The original mosque was built in 1859. Interestingly, it was built in wood!
****Who rebuilt the mosque?
Shaik Abdul Gaffoor bin Shaik Hyder rebuilt the mosque.
****What kind of style is it built in?
It is an unusual blend of arabic and renaissance architecture.
****Which community worships here?
Indians who follow the Muslim faith worship here.
No. 41, Dunlop Street
When was the original mosque built?
The original mosque was built in 1859. Interestingly, it was built in wood!
****Who rebuilt the mosque?
Shaik Abdul Gaffoor bin Shaik Hyder rebuilt the mosque.
****What kind of style is it built in?
It is an unusual blend of arabic and renaissance architecture.
****Which community worships here?
Indians who follow the Muslim faith worship here.
Dunlop Street
What was the original name of the street?
It was originally known as Rangasamy Road.
Who was it named after?
It was originally known as Rangasamy Road.
Who was it named after?
This street was named after Major Samuel Dunlop, Inspector Genral of Police in the Straits Settlements in the 1870s. Other accounts explain that it is named after A.E Dunlop, who was the secretary and active member of the Race Course Committee in the Serangoon.
Campbell Lane
Who is Campbell lane named after?
It was named after Sir Colin Campbell (1792-1863). As Scottish field marshal, he was involved in victorious campaigns in China such as the second Sikh War, the Crimean War and the Indian Mutiny.
What is the significance of the flower garlands?
Flower garlands are worn or given to show respect to an individual or deity.It is placed on statues of deities as prayer offerings, they’re also used to garland important guests during functions, as a symbol of respect.Indian women often thread pretty flowers into their hair as a form of adornment during weddings.
Can you find the information board of "The Shop of P Govindasamy Pillai?" What does it tell about the man?
Yes we did. He was a lowly immigrant who came to Singapore with only 13 Rupees. With the help of a bank loan, he embarked on a new retail career. His business included quality textiles and sarees, and soon became very successful. He eventually became the King of Textile industry. He has also helped in many worthy causes such as Sri Perumal Temple, Mount Alvernia Hosptial and the establishment of the University of Malaya.
It was named after Sir Colin Campbell (1792-1863). As Scottish field marshal, he was involved in victorious campaigns in China such as the second Sikh War, the Crimean War and the Indian Mutiny.
What is the significance of the flower garlands?
Flower garlands are worn or given to show respect to an individual or deity.It is placed on statues of deities as prayer offerings, they’re also used to garland important guests during functions, as a symbol of respect.Indian women often thread pretty flowers into their hair as a form of adornment during weddings.
Can you find the information board of "The Shop of P Govindasamy Pillai?" What does it tell about the man?
Yes we did. He was a lowly immigrant who came to Singapore with only 13 Rupees. With the help of a bank loan, he embarked on a new retail career. His business included quality textiles and sarees, and soon became very successful. He eventually became the King of Textile industry. He has also helped in many worthy causes such as Sri Perumal Temple, Mount Alvernia Hosptial and the establishment of the University of Malaya.
Hastings Road
Who is Hastings Road named after?
It is named after Warren Hastings.He was the Governor General of British India.
It is named after Warren Hastings.He was the Governor General of British India.
Little India Arcade
What is the address of this cluster of buildings?
No. 48, Serangoon Road, Singapore (217959)
How old are the buildings?
They are 87 years old.
Can you find tow plaques on the pillars of the building? What information do the plaques give about the area and the people who lived there?
No. 48, Serangoon Road, Singapore (217959)
How old are the buildings?
They are 87 years old.
Can you find tow plaques on the pillars of the building? What information do the plaques give about the area and the people who lived there?
Chinese Villa
What is the name of the villa located at No. 37 Kerbau Road?
House of Tan Teng Niah.
Who was it named after?
It was named after him however it was built for his wife.
What was the history of the villa?
Tan Teng Niah owned several sweetmaking factories along Serangoon Road and a number of smokehouses along Kerbau Road. It is one of the last surviving Chinese villas built in the 1900s. It had 8 rooms.
House of Tan Teng Niah.
Who was it named after?
It was named after him however it was built for his wife.
What was the history of the villa?
Tan Teng Niah owned several sweetmaking factories along Serangoon Road and a number of smokehouses along Kerbau Road. It is one of the last surviving Chinese villas built in the 1900s. It had 8 rooms.
Kerbay Road
Again, what does the name 'Kerbau' Road suggest about the main activity on this road?
Kerbau means buffalo in malay and it reflects the fact that cattle trade in this area was vibrant where cattle was reared due to its easy access to the nearby slaughterhouses.
Who do you think was the main community residents and working in this area? What were they selling?
They were Indians who did business using gingerly oil machines. They sold flower garlands, loose flowers, oil lamps and coconuts etc.
Kerbau means buffalo in malay and it reflects the fact that cattle trade in this area was vibrant where cattle was reared due to its easy access to the nearby slaughterhouses.
Who do you think was the main community residents and working in this area? What were they selling?
They were Indians who did business using gingerly oil machines. They sold flower garlands, loose flowers, oil lamps and coconuts etc.
Buffalo Road
This is one of the oldest arterial roads in the Serangoon road area. What does the name suggest of the main activity in this area?
In the 1870s, Buffalo Road was an area used for cattle and sheep rearing. However, this was banned later from the 1930s.
In the 1870s, Buffalo Road was an area used for cattle and sheep rearing. However, this was banned later from the 1930s.
Tekka Market
What does the name "Tekka" mean?
It refers to the foot of bamboo shoots.
What does "Kandang Kerbau" stand for?
It stands for buffalo pen.
What do these names tell you about this area?
This area was well known for its bull rearing activities.
It refers to the foot of bamboo shoots.
What does "Kandang Kerbau" stand for?
It stands for buffalo pen.
What do these names tell you about this area?
This area was well known for its bull rearing activities.
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