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SERANGOON ROAD

Our tour starts here at the main busstop on Serangoon Road in front of Zhujiao Centre, which we will return to at the end of this tour: You are standing on Serangoon Road, one of the oldest roads of Singapore. In fact, this road was marked on ancient maps as "The Road Through the Island'. One story of how the road got its name tells how villagers who wanted to travel on the road brought gongs with them to scare away the wild animals. Hence, the Malay phrase"di-serang dengan gong" or to scare away with gongs. Those who didn't follow the practice probably never lived to speak of their regrets, or so say some people.

Little India has a wonderful array of traditional business still practised today be itinerant tradesmen. Don't miss them when you are exploring the 'five-foot ways" of the shophouses.

For a small fee, let the fortuneteller's parrot read your future. Alternatively, let the astrologer tell you if you and your future mate are compatible or even help you decide on the right days to shift into your new house.

And if you're thirsty, try a cup of homemade thairu from the last Indian yoghurt street vendor in Singapore. You can find her with two red plastic buckets at her feet outside a restaurant at No. 62 Serangoon Road.

 LITTLE INDIA ARCADE

Across the bus stop you can see Little India Arcade. This cluster of shophouses was conserved in 1982 and later turned into this bustling shopping haven.

Look out for Handlooms, a sari shop supported by the Government of India. The sari is actually a single piece of fabric of about a metre in width and 6 yards in length, draped around the body of a woman and tied like a pleated skirt with one end of the fabric thrown over the shoulder. With the sari, the woman wears a choli, a short-fitting blouse. Taking a closer look at the more elaborate fabrics, you will see real gold and silver threads woven into them. You may even wish to purchase the sari fabric to be tailored into modern dresses.

Enter from the Serangoon Road entrance and you'll see a confectionery selling traditional Indian sweets and snacks. Try dessers like kulfi, a rich milk dessert, or gulam jamun, cream cheese balls in syrup. For a snack, you can try vada, a savoury lentil doughnut. But beware of the green chilli which is always a lot hotter than it looks.

 In the arcade you'll also find Ayurvedic medicine shops. Ayurvedic medicine ("Ayus" = life and "veda"+ knowledge) or the "Science of Life" is a very ancient Indian medicinal practice. You can buy some of these traditional remedies which are used for different ailments from haemorrhoids to rheumatism.

Nearby, you can also see the paan wallah or betel but seller. Midly narcotic, betel nuts are believed to be good for the digestive system, Pieces of betel buts, chopped fine or coarse, are mixed with lime paste and sometimes other spices. They are then rolled up in a betel leaf, popped into the mouth and chewed.

Don't forget to walk into the many Indian craft shops and booths to discover the exciting mix of carvings, sculptures, brassware and artefacts. Pause to admire the Hindu images while shopping for pretty drapes and covers for your home.

At the air-conditioned food court, look our for a video presentation that gives an insightful perspective on Indian culture through the eyes of prominent Indian doctor. You can even buy a souvenir copy of the story signs that you will see placed amongst traditional products in the arcade to explain their symbolism and values. They are available at GGS Publications, Books and Stationery at #01-03 Little India Arcade or the Asian Women's Welfare Association at NO.9 Norris Road.

Leaving the church, turn right and walk down Dickson Road to Upper Dickson Road.

Leave Little India Arcade by Cambell Lane, turn right and you'll see the vividly colourful flowershops selling garlands and fresh flowers. Flowers play an important role in the Indian way of life as they are a symbol of prosperity. Look at how the garland-makers briskly weave their red, yellow and white flower creations from roses, marigolds, and the flower of happiness, jasmine. On Tuesdays and Friday s, the Hindu holy days, gods are honoured with simple strands of jasmine. But on religiously significant days, more elaborate strands re ordered and placed on the deities in the temple and at home. It is also common to see Indian ladies wearing strings of blossoms in their hair.

Beyond the aromatic flower shops, you will notice a large brightly painted yellow shop front. P.Govinasamy Pillai & Sons or "PGP" as it is affectionately known is located here. Founded by P.Govindasamy Pillai, a patriarch of the Indian community well-known for his charitable works, the shop is now run by his sons. Being one of the earliest sari shops in Serangoon Road, it is now a key landmark in Little India.

To get into PGP, first walk into Kuna's Handicraft Shop where you'll find a wide range of traditional Indian arts and crafts. You will see sculptures trucked away in corners, alongside oil lamps, bangles and peacock feathers. You can certainly pick up that special souvenir for a loved one here.

Walking through Kuna's will lead you to PGP supermarket, well-stocked with everything from Indian utensils and sandalwood incense to spice mixes for fish and meat curries. In fact, these spices are actually ground fresh at a traditional spice grinder (we will visit one later in the tour.) Don't forget to proceed upstairs to the sari shop filled with sari, shawls, scarves and modern garments in both traditional and modern designer fabrics.

Walk through PGP, exit onto Dunlop Street and turn right. Pop into the different provision and textile shops along this road. You'll find not just staples such as rice and sugar but also a curious variety of products ranging from special Indian cosmetics such as kohl, henna dyes (for decorating the hands) and perfumed oils, to terracotta pots for cooking curries. Walk further down and you will see an interesting mix of textile and Indian dress shops.

Dunlop Street is one of several roads with European names that you can find in Little India. In the 1840s, it was a private road that led from Serangoon road to the private residence of Mr. A E Dunlop, the Inspector-General Police. His residence has since vanished and the road has been taken over by rows of shophouses. In fact, this used to be a bustling open-air vegetable street market leading to the mosque further down the road.

At the junction of Dunlop Street and Clive Street, you can either make two left turns to the food joints in Upper Dickson Road (refer to 6) or detour and walk down Dunlop Street to the next two stop-points-a mosque and a church.

Keep walking down Dunlop Street for another 10 minutes and you'll find on your right the Abdul Gaffoor Mosque, one of Singapore's 32 national gazetted monuments.

While most Indians are Hindus, some follow the Muslim faith. On Fridays, many will congregate here for prayers. Originally a wooden structure built on land leased by Shaik Abdul Gaffoor bin Shaik Hyder in 1859, the mosque was rebuilt in brick in 1910. It now features a glass cupola, and an unusual blend of Arabic and Renaissance Architecture.

When entering grounds of worship, make sure your legs are covered to the ankles and remember to take off your shoes. Note that only worshippers are allowed to enter the prayer hall. Although the mosque is open all year round, visitors are advised to refrain from entering during prayer sessions in the evenings and all day of Fridays.

Just behind the mosque, you're welcome to join the friendly people at a little snack shop selling Indian Muslim snacks such as samosas and vads. Take a short break and enjoy a cup of iced teh-tahrik, "hand-pulled tea" (6.30 a.m. - 12 noon) or teh halia ( 3 p.m. - 8 p.m.).

THE CHURHCH OF TRUE LIGHT

Open only on Saturdays and Sunday s between 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. this 1850 Anglican church served the Chinese community Hock Chew and Hinghwa descent in Little India.

Walk all the way up the stairs and you'll find a unique sanctuary with a huge Chinese ideogram for the word "love" above the altar. Note the Bible verses in Chinese painted onto the pillars and walls. Interestingly, the names of donors of the pews are inscribed at the base of the kneelers.

Leaving the church, turn right and walk down Dickson Road to Upper Dickson Road.