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 Traditionally
the home of Singapore's Indian community, Serangoon Road and its
neighbouring side streets are still today a bustling hive of
sights, sounds and intriguing aromas. A rainbow of colours
greets you as you wind your way through the streets. Here, where
the locals shop, you can buy almost anything that's Indian, from
handicrafts and Kashmir silk to peacock feathers and flower
garlands. Glittering silk-threaded saris, brassware and
Indian-designed jewellery are particularly good buys.
Check
out the spice mill along Serangoon Road for ready-made packets
of spices for fish, meat or vegetable curries that can be easily
packed into a suitcase. You'll be charmed by jewellers selling
silver amulets, bridal ornaments as well as cheap, colourful
bangles, ankle chains and other adornments. Look, too, for
luggage of every description, Indian bedspreads and giant
photographs of Indian movie stars. Chellas Gallery specialises
in papier mache boxes and other collectibles from Kashmir.
No
visit to Little India would be complete without seeing two of
the area's institutions -- the Tekka Centre and Mustafa Centre.
The
Tekka Centre on Buffalo Road, known as KK Market to the locals,
is a bustling wet market full of fresh vegetables, fish, meat,
spices and flowers. For small souvenir items, check out the
brassware shops or one of the other small shops.
At
the other end of Serangoon Road in Serangoon Plaza is Mustafa
Centre, an emporium-cum-department-store-cum Aladdin's cave.
Don't be deceived by the relatively modest exterior - inside
you'll find floor after floor selling every conceivable item at
some of the lowest fixed prices in Singapore.
Getting there: Take SBS buses 64, 65, 111 or 139 from
Orchard Road.
Sim Lim Square
1
Rochor Road
Nearest
MRT station: Bugis (EW12)
Just
over the Rochor Canal from Little India stands Sim Lim Square,
one of the oldest places in Singapore for audio and video gear.
Row upon row of shops on four levels deal in stereos, tape
decks, CD players, TVs, VCRs, laser disc players, cameras,
videocams and more. Be sure to take time to shop around and
compare prices, check goods carefully and insist on detailed
receipts and full international guarantees. |
