Singapore’s Little India is vibrant and lively, and its many religious institutions reflect the neighborhood’s character. To explore these sites, take the National Heritage Board’s “Walk of Faiths” heritage trail, a cultural walk that will lead you past temples, mosques, churches, and private shrines. If you walk from northeast to southwest (starting at the top end of Serangoon Road), here’s what you’ll see as you follow the Little India Walk of Faiths in Singapore.

Sri Vadapathira Kaliamman Temple

Dedicated to the goddess Kali, this Chettiar temple dates back to the 1870s (though it didn’t take its current shape until the 1970s). As with all South Indian temples, it is open-air and filled with electric-colored statuary.

I’ve long been a fan of the great green Hanuman who stands watch at the front:

Leong San See Temple

Taking a jog over to Race Course Road, you’ll find Leong San See Temple, which my guidebook calls “one of Singapore’s most ornate Buddhist temples.” Based on the chandelier collection alone, it’s hard to disagree.

If you squint while looking at the center above, you can see the temple’s patron goddess, Guan Yin, with her eighteen hands of limitless mercy. But while the main shrine was impressive, I really liked this dark, knee-level collection of Taoist figures:

Sakya Muni Buddha Gaya Temple

Just across the street from Leong San See lies a Thai-style Buddhist temple that features a 300-ton statue of the Buddha:

This statue dominates the room — in fact, it feels like this Buddha is the temple, because at first glance, there’s very little else inside. But if you look a bit closer, you’ll find a Buddha for each day of the week, a replica of what is said to be Buddha’s footprint (he had a very large foot), and a piece of the Bodhi tree under which Buddha was sitting when he reached enlightenment. Two fabulous tigers with birds on their heads guard the site.

Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple

Another South Indian temple founded in the nineteenth century, Sri Srinivasa Perumal is dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu. The rajagopuram (tower entrance) dominates the nearby landscape. Dozens of statues on top tell stories about both Vishnu his consort Lakshmi; inside the doors, pillared halls lead to more icons …

… and elaborate ceilings:

I always feel like this temple deserves more attention than it probably gets (I’m guessing that, because it’s a bit far up Serangoon Road, it’s off of the ordinary Little India tourist path).

Angullia Mosque

This mosque was founded by a Sunni Muslim family of Western Indian origins. Of the original structure, only the original 1890s gatehouse remains; the rest of the mosque was rebuilt in 1970.

Foochow Methodist Church

Head around the block to Race Course Road to visit this church, founded in 1897 as a mission project to serve rickshaw pullers, barbers, and coolies from the Foochow (a.k.a. Fuzhou) area of China. The mission built this church with some pretty interesting architecture in the late 1930s (you can see old photos here), but the building was shelled during WWII, so the current facade dates to 1947.

If you’re wondering, “why so many pictures of temples, and so few of churches and mosques,” the answer is simple: Buddhist, Taoist, and Hindu temples are generally open for most of the day in Singapore, while churches and mosques are most often locked or closed to visitors.

Shree Lakshminarayan Temple

You’ll have to bend around the block to find Shree Lakshminarayan, Singapore’s first North Indian temple. While its main deities are Lakshmi and Vishnu (Narayan), this temple looks entirely different from its southern Indian brethren.

First of all, this temple is indoors; secondly, you’ll find it far less ornate than South Indian temples. And as one of my Indian friends says, “even the deities look different.”

Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple

A quick bit of backtracking up Serangoon Road (there’s no way to do the trail without this) leads to what may be the most-photographed Hindu temple in Singapore. Now we’re right back to South India! This is the first temple in Singapore to have been devoted to Kali, erected in the place where Tamil lime kiln laborers first built a shrine in the 1850s. Important statues fill the temple grounds.

Kampong Kapor Methodist Church

The congregation that founded this church in the 1890s included Singapore’s first female Methodist missionary (there’s an obscure fact for Singapore trivia buffs). The current building was designed in the late 1920s, and you can see the Art Deco influences.

This building and the next two that follow are a bit off the beaten path, on the southeastern side of Serangoon Road, but you’ll find them worth the walk. Plus, if you head in this direction, you can stop for lunch or a snack at the amazing Gokul Raas Vegetarian Restaurant.

Church of the True Light

Another female missionary, the Anglican Miss Apple, led this church’s founding for Heng Hua and Hock Chew immigrants from Fujian province in China. You can see that the 1952 church building has significant Chinese influences.

Abdul Gafoor Mosque

Architecture fans love this mosque. The National Heritage Board puts it better than I ever could: “its unique architecture blends Saracenic and Neoclassical elements such as a beautifully coloured glass cupola reflecting Arabic and Renaissance influence.”

Even more interestingly, Tamil horse trainers and groomers from the nearby race course once frequented this mosque.

Private Worship

You won’t find these spots on the National Heritage Board walk, but you’ll see constant reminders of personal faith as you stroll along the Little India Walk of Faiths. These may take the form of tiny statues, small altars, or roadside shrines.

Worship Off the Map

Many places of worship —some in small shophouses and others in larger spaces — do not make it to the National Heritage Board list. It’s fun to poke around and see how many of these you can find.

Further Reading: Beyond the Little India Walk of Faiths in Singapore

• As you walk, keep an eye out for the colorful, ever-evolving Murals of Little India.
• To experience four religions in a single Singapore temple, visit Loyang Tua Pek Kong.
• Curious about Singapore culture? See my complete guide to the country’s cultural heritage centres.
• Love Asian temples? Plan a weekend in Chiang Mai, Thailand’s Rose of the North.