Little India Journey of the Senses
Today is a cultural day of discovery for me and my mum with Monster Day Tours as we embark on a journey of the senses around Little India.
Our first stop is the mural titled “Cattleland” by Eunice Lim. The mural depicts images of buffaloes, clouds and flowers with the number 52 prominently displayed to commemorate the celebration of the nation’s 52nd birthday.
Our next stop is the former site of the Kandang Kerbau Hospital (now known as the K.K. Women's and Children's Hospital) which is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's busiest maternity hospital with 39,856 deliveries in 1966.
Next up is a mural by Jaxton Su which depicts horse racing and garland-making, and the Shree Lakshminarayan Temple which is the first dedicated place of worship for North Indian Hindus. One interesting thing to note is the color combination of red and white to symbolize purity.
During our morning tea break, we stopped by the former house of Tan Teng Niah which is the last surviving Chinese villa in the neighborhood. The villa is a testament to the great cultural diversity in Singapore, with various architectural influences from around the region. The conserved building is earmarked for commercial use only and is currently privately held.
Next two stops on our cultural walking trail includes the mural, “Traditional Trades of Little India” by Psyfool and the Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple. Interestingly, communities in the past liked to live around the temple as it is typically the tallest structure in the neighborhood and is believed to be able to protect homes from lighting.
To expand our horizons, the tour guide also took us on a tour of the areas around Little India where we will seldom come across including Krsna’s Free Meals which offers free food for the community, the Zhong Clan Association Singapore, and the Kampong Kapor Methodist Church.
As we come to the end of the tour, we took a leisurely stroll to discover the beautiful artworks and murals scattered around the neighborhood such as “The Working Class Hero” by Zero and “Daily Delivery” by Didier Jaba Mathieu.
One fun fact that I discovered today was a mural located near the famous Mustafa Centre titled “Folding Dreams” by Eunice Lim. The mural depicted beautifully folded handkerchiefs which symbolizes the entrepreneurship spirit of Mr. Mustaq Ahmad who started his business at a young age selling handkerchiefs along side his father.
After a morning of walking, it was time for a quick lunch before venturing into “Slurping Good” which is an interactive experience focused on the humble instant noodles. Overall, the museum is built for the generation of Instagram with tons of photo opportunities.
Special thanks to Monster Day Tours for organizing such an interesting walking tour around Little India. Definitely looking forward to my next local adventure with the tour group!