Singapore 2017|| Getting Lost at the Street Arts of Little India

Little India is an ethnic district across the Chinatown. An Indian community buzzing with a vibrant culture, a shopping hub and artists' home. Being one of the famous destinations and a historic area in Singapore, it houses Hindu temples, cafeterias and shopping centers which makes its colorful streets alive with the daily hustle and bustle of the city. 

From the Merlion park, passing down the underpass way of Fullerton,  I went to the nearest Metro station, Raffle's place and ride the train (red line) going to Jurong East, interchanged train at Dhoby Ghaut (purple line) then stopped at Little India Station with a map at my hand. What I like about renowned cities like Singapore, is the advantage of having an efficient train system with stations at each different tourist destinations. It gives tourist a great impression and saves them from hassles of transportation. 

Upon walking the streets from the station, I was directed to an area full of street shops selling goods of different kinds, it was more of a street market selling wet to dry goods, dried fishes to shawls, vegetables and clothes. Since I wasn't interested on buying anything, I walked further and found the lines of colorful cafeterias. Of course, offering menus of Indian dishes, varying from vegetarian to non-vegetarian, affordable to expensive that would give an authentic experience of dining an Indian cuisine. As for me, being not a fan of spicy food and has a great deal of experience eating Indian dishes being in UAE, I decided to skip the eating part. 

I walked further looking for structures that would make me feel being in an Indian village, what I've seen so far seems like an ordinary neighborhood not being unique from the rest of the Singapore streets. I was on my way to see the most photographed location of the area, but upon walking and walking, having lost and track-sided, found myself in a narrow alley gawking at a street art on one of the establishment walls. There's another one on the side and its a paintings of cattle, horses and goods depicting the history of Little India being a trading place and was once having a racecourse, cattle herds and brick kilns. Looking at those graffiti walls, I now fully understood why the area is a home to some artists of Singapore. 

I asked some locales where I can find the landmark in Little India, the House of Tan Teng Niah which is considered as the most colorful dwelling in the entire island. Though it is located in the Indian district, tracing back history, the house is the only one left survivor of Chinese colonization in the area and is being maintained by locales as a tourist attraction. 

Outside of the house has a small shops and cafeterias where visitors and tourists can also eat and shop. I walked further more and went to see some shops before heading to my next and last destination, the Marina Bay Sands. 

Next Blog: Singapore 2017|| Marveling at the Marina Bay Sands and Skypark