By Ong, Christopher written on 2009-02
National Library Board Singapore

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As its name suggests, Little India is the heart of Singapores Indian community. Bordered by Selegie Road and Lavender Street, Little India's main stretch of commercial activity can be found along Serangoon Road, which was once known as "The road leading across the island" on one Lieutenant Jackson's map of 1828 Singapore. Several streets in Little India bear the names of personalities who once lived in the area. For instance, Dunlop Street and Clive Street bear the names of the European families who came to stay there in the early 1840s. Belilios Lane and Belilios Road were named after the Calcutta-born I.R. Belilios, who made his name there in cattle trading from the 1840s onwards.  

Early beginnings
In the early 1840s, Little India became a residential area for the Europeans as a result of the completion of the Race Course, which became a focal point for this community. Since the first 2-day race on 23 and 25 February 1842, the Europeans would turn up at what is now Farrer Park Road in droves. Dressed to their finest, they would watch their countrymen compete on horses they had trained themselves. At the same time, cattle trading began to blossom due to its location along the Serangoon River. The aforementioned I.R. Belilios was one of those whose cattle business thrived. Several road names in the district today, such as Buffalo Road and Kerbau Road (kerbau is Malay for buffalo), are evidences to this period.

The booming cattle trade also led to the emergence of related economic activities. Besides being sources of meat and milk, cattle could serve as power sources for transportation and driving simple machines, and this led to the rise of activities like wheat grinding, and pineapple preservation.

Cattle trading was a predominantly Indian trade. This had social consequences as Indians mostly inhabited and worked in the area. Bosses such as Belilios would employ mostly Indian migrant workers drawn from India. By the end of the 19th century, other Indian immigrants arrived in the district. Unlike their predecessors, they hoped to make their fortunes in other trade besides cattle. As the Indian community continued to grow, a corresponding demand for goods and services that could cater to their specific needs rose. Similarly, there was a need for places of worship. One such place is the famous Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple located at 141 Serangoon Road, which was built in 1855. Also built in that year was the Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple, which is located between Race Course Road and Serangoon Road. To add to the diversity of the social landscape, the Angullia family who came from Surat, India made their wealth in the import and export business and built another famous landmark along Serangoon Road called the Angullia Mosque in 1890.

Another important development during the 19th century was the construction of administrative and service institutions in the area by the government. These included a Government Dispensary, and the Kandang Kerbau Hospital, which was built at the junction of Bukit Timah Road and Serangoon Road in 1858. This has distant links to the present KK Women and Childrens Hospital. The General Hospital, which had its origin in a military cantonment near the Singapore River, was constructed at Kandang Kerbau in 1860. The latter was later relocated to Outram, and is today known as the Singapore General Hospital.

Further developments
In the early 20th century, the cattle trade began to die out as swamps, essential to the rearing of cattle, were drained to facilitate the building of roads and structures. That period also saw the original Tekka Market being constructed. It was built in 1915, opposite the site of the current Tekka Market, which is today a landmark of Little India.

However, the growth of Little India came to a halt with the dawn of World War II followed by the Japanese Occupation. Even in the weeks before the Japanese arrived (in Feb 1941), many wives and children were sent back to India. Several businessmen also gave up their businesses here to return to their native lands before the Japanese arrived. Indeed, businesses were later affected by Japanese regulation of the economy, and material needed for the various trades was hard to come by. Looting during these difficult times were often exacerbated by the problem of scarcity. However, the hard times offered windows of opportunities for those bold enough to grasp them. Young Indian assistants bought over the businesses of their bosses, ensuring that these businesses survived the hard times, and thrived after.

The 1960s and 1970s saw many Indians moving out of Little India as they found housing either in the newly built HDB public housing or private estates. This was especially so with the clearance of slum in the 1970s. Thus, Little India became more of a centre of commerce for Indians all across Singapore. In the 1980s, several public housing projects in the area were completed, including those of Zhujiao Centre and Rowell Court. In 1989, Little India's significance as a part of Singapore history was recognized when it was gazetted as a conservation site.

Conclusion
Since the advent of the 21st century, Little India has once again become a popular location to live in, with its close proximity to the city. In addition, its bohemian feel also attracts young artists, and several indie art galleries can now be found in the district. However, in early 2008, the outbreak of the Chikungunya virus in the area created a serious scare for residents and shop owners alike, with the latter also seeing businesses declined drastically during that period. Little India was the centre of Singapore's first outbreak of the mosquito-borne disease, with the accumulation of rainwater in damaged or clogged gutters of shophouses, encouraging the breeding of Aedes mosquitoes. The battle against the virus was contained by the National Environment Agency (NEA) within a month, with measures being undertaken such as the ordering of shop owners to remove their damaged or clogged gutters.


 
Author
Christopher Ong