Little India Singapore Photo Tour
- Colourful Buffalo Road & Artsy Kerbau Road

Buffalo Road Things to See

	Buffalo Road bursts into a riot of colours every morning. Stalls along narrow walkways sell jasmine garlands, loose flowers, lime, coconut, mini oil lamps. These are quickly snapped up by Hindu devotees heading to the nearby Sri Veerama Kaliamman Temple.
	You can't miss the garlands along Little India's **5-foot-ways. They are an enduring sight on Buffalo Road. The air is an undescribable mixture of smells - the scents of flowers, incense and spice. Your nostrils must get ready for this unusual mix.
**The walkways outside most colonial shophouses in Singapore are 5 feet wide. A legacy from the colonial town planners. Hence, the name 5-foot-way.
	There are so so many garlands. Who'd buy them, I wondered. Yet the demand for garlands can be overwhelming at times. And the stall vendors start making new ones by late afternoon to cope with late-night customers.
	The vendors who sell garlands also sell de-husked coconuts. The ones here are not for cooking - their shells are still intact. They are meant for worship at the nearby temples. Do you know what they are used for?
	Clay oil-lamps are also plentiful here. They eventually make their way to the temples. Devotees light them up before they pray.
	There is nothing minimalist about Buffalo Road. And the shops couldn't care less about looking good, as long as customers buy. I found the shops overflowing onto the walkways outside - heaps and heaps of vegetables, fruits, grains, and every other item used for Indian cooking.
	There isn't enough space, so everything goes higher and higher in heaps.
	If you like surprises, you'll get it here in Little India. I found the range of vegetables unusual and bewildering. Honestly, some looked like weeds to me. I wonder who really eat them.
	Competition is intense here. So this vegetable vendor exercises a bit of creativity...
	All vegetables being equal, the most eye-catching ones win!
	Chilli and spice.
	Some of the shophouses have sold out. They put up with poorer ventilation for a little advertising income.
	And there are many competitors. This banner tempts you with all types of body treatment. For the fun of it, why not get your hands henna-painted, at 16 or 22A Buffalo Road.

Buffalo Road is a bit chaotic for some, but I absolutely love it.

At the end of Buffalo Road, you'll come to a T-junction with Race Course Road. Turn right onto Race Course Road and after a few steps, you'll come to the start of Kerbau Road - the 'Arts Centre' of Little India Singapore.

Kerbau Road Things to See

	One of the first shops you'll come across is Y Shahul Hameed Glass and Frame Makers at No. 57. Mr Yoosuf, the owner, makes mostly picture frames showing Hindu deities.
	They cover every available wall space inside and outside his shop.
	But not all his pictures are of Hindu gods. This one on the left is for his more carnal customers.
	Mr Yoosuf's competitor is a few doors down the road at No. 29, Ansa Picture Framing & Art Gallery. This is another fascinating shop and worth a look.
	On the way, you'll pass by this refurbished Chinese mansion at No. 37, which has a very curious spiral staircase and some ornate window shutters. On the ground level of this mansion is T.M. Silk Sarees Pte Ltd, run by Mr T Murugan.
	Mr Murugan's shop is extremely attractive. You just have to marvel at his wares. The silk sarees are stacked in reams to the ceiling. Some fan out invitingly.
	Even hardened scrimpers become weak here. These exquisite sarees make great gifts. Get them if the price - at S$100 to $1000 a piece - doesn't hurt your pockets ;)!

1. Tekka Centre Shops - Rare antiques, collectibles & colourful sarees!
   
   
2. Tekka Centre Wet Market - Singapore's freshest seafood, meats and vegetables.
   
   
3. Serangoon Road - uncountable jewellery shops, great Indian restaurants, lively temples. Also the venue of the amazing Thaipusam Singapore Festival.
   
   
4. Sri Veerama Kaliamman Temple - faithful devotees, astounding statues, lively spiritual music.
   

Or find out more about Little India Singapore.