Duration: 1.5 hours / 90 minutes

• Stop 1: Clive Street – Introduction

  8 mins

  The guide introduces Little India as a historic district and invites participants to observe the shophouses, streetscape and surrounding businesses. The story introduces how the area developed as a place where communities lived, worked, worshipped and traded. Participants are asked: “When you hear Little India, what is the first thing that comes to mind?”

• Stop 2: Indian Heritage Centre – Exterior

  7 mins

  Without entering the centre, the guide introduces the importance of documenting and preserving Singapore's Indian heritage. Participants learn that heritage is not only about buildings but also about people, migration, traditions, livelihoods and community memory. The guide connects the physical neighbourhood outside with the stories preserved within heritage institutions.

• Stop 3: Deity / Religious Goods Shops

  8 mins

  Participants explore the role of religious goods shops in supporting everyday Hindu practices. The guide explains how deity figures, prayer items, incense and other ritual objects connect commerce with faith. The stop highlights how religious traditions are maintained through objects, rituals and family practices passed between generations.

• Stop 4: Jothi Store & Flower Shop

  8 mins

  The guide introduces the role of flowers and garlands in Indian religious and cultural practices. Participants learn how a traditional shop can serve both commercial and community functions. The discussion explores flowers as offerings and their connection to worship, festivals, celebrations and everyday cultural practices.

• Stop 5: Peacock Feathers, Bangles & Henna

  10 mins

  This is the main interactive cultural observation segment. The guide uses visible objects and traditional services to discuss adornment and celebration. Peacock feathers, bangles and henna become entry points into conversations about weddings, festivals, beauty, identity and family traditions. Participants are encouraged to identify which traditions they have seen or experienced in Singapore.

• Stop 6: Little India Arcade

  10 mins

  Participants explore the conserved shophouse environment and traditional retail businesses. The guide explains how commercial spaces can also function as cultural spaces, serving communities through clothing, food, sweets and other traditional products. Participants observe shopfronts, signs, colours and displays as part of Little India's visual cultural landscape.

• Stop 7: Gold Shops – Serangoon Road

  10 mins

  Gold shops provide an opportunity to discuss the cultural importance of jewellery, particularly in weddings, gifting and family life. The guide also introduces traditional specialist businesses and how skills, knowledge and customer relationships can be passed across generations. Participants consider why gold continues to have cultural meaning beyond its monetary value.

• Walking Segment: Serangoon Road → Tekka Centre(途经)

  17 mins

  During the walk, the guide continues storytelling rather than treating the walking time as downtime. Participants observe shophouses, religious spaces, businesses, signage, street activities and changing forms of commerce. The guide discusses how Little India has adapted to changing times while retaining elements of its cultural identity.

• Stop 8: Tekka Centre – Final Stop

  12 mins

  The programme concludes at Tekka Centre, connecting Little India's history with everyday food, trade and community life. The guide introduces the market's significance as a place where people shop, eat, work and interact. Participants reflect on how markets and traditional businesses contribute to a neighbourhood's identity. The closing question is: “If these everyday businesses disappeared, what part of Singapore's heritage would disappear with them?”