A Hindu devotee participates in a Thaipusam procession

The easiest access to “Little India” is via the new Little India MRT (subway) station, on the NE line.

Outside the station, Tekka Market supplies fresh fish, meats and vegetables to shoppers from all over Singapore, with a cluster of excellent hawker-food stalls opposite.

But for the real atmosphere of India, venture into Campbell Lane, where flower-garland makers ply their trade.

Just behind Campbell Lane, Little India Arcade can’t quite make up its mind whether to be a modern shopping arcade or a traditional Indian bazaar, and the resulting strange amalgam seems less than totally authentic. Still, it’s a great place to shop for incense, clothing, spices, henna, and a whole range of Indian movie CDs and DVDs.