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The Indian Heritage Centre (IHC) celebrates the history and heritage of the Indian diaspora in Singapore and the Southeast Asian region. From early contacts between the Indian subcontinent and this region, the culture and social history of the community after the arrival of the British, through to the early stirrings of nationalism and political identity, and the contributions of Singapore’s Indian community – the five permanent galleries take visitors on a fascinating journey through the Indian diaspora. Located in Singapore's colourful and vibrant Little India precinct, the centre opened in May 2015 and is our only purpose-built museum. The current special exhibition 'Chetti Melaka of the Straits' opened on 7 September 2018 and is on until 5 May 2019.

Coordinator

Jyoti Ramesh

Address

No. 5 Campbell Lane, Singapore 209924

Opening Hours

Tuesday to Thursday - 10am to 7pm
Friday and Saturday - 10am to 8pm
Sunday and Public Holidays - 10am to 4pm
Closed on Mondays
FOM GUIDED TOURS:
Permanent galleries:
One hour English tours: Tuesdays to Fridays at 11am

Special exhibition, CHETTI MELAKA OF THE STRAITS (until 5 May 2019):
English tours- Wednesdays and Fridays at 2pm
Tamil tours- 1st Friday of each month at 11:30am (from 5th October 2018)
FOM guided tours of permanent galleries in Tamil and Mandarin: On request and subject to availability of docent

Contact

Museum front desk: 6291 1601

Celebrating Singapore's Indian heritage and culture

English
One Hour Highlights Tour

Tuesday to Friday- 11am to 12 noon
Special tours for groups, schools and corporates, in various languages are available on request and subject to availability of docents. Please email coordinator.ihc@gmail.com

Docents take you on a free 60-minute highlights tour of the 5 permanent galleries in English, every Tuesday- Friday at 11am (except public holidays and FOM event days).

 

English
CHETTI MELAKA OF THE STRAITS – Rediscovering Peranakan Indian Communities

One hour highlight tours in English on Wednesdays and Fridays (excluding public holidays) at 2pm.
Tamil tours on the 1st Friday of each month (excluding public holidays) at 11:30am.
Malay and bahasa Indonesia tours on request
(Please direct requests for special tours to Coordinator.IHC@gmail.com. These are subject to availability of docents).

"CHETTI MELAKA OF THE STRAITS – Rediscovering Peranakan Indian Communities" runs from 7 September 2018 to 5th May 2019 at Level 2 galleries of the Indian Heritage Centre.

Situated at the crossroads of the Indian Ocean region and the Far East, the Malay Archipelago has always been a region of cultural confluence and diversity. The region saw the influx of migrant communities who brought with them their unique socio-cultural traits ranging from language to religion, fashion to cuisine. Over time, these traits adapted to the multicultural milieu of the local society and resulted in polyglot environments best exemplified by the Chetti Melaka.

The Chetti Melaka (or Chitty Melaka) are descendants of Tamil traders who settled in Melaka during the reign of the Melaka Sultanate (15th- 16th century) and married local women of Malay and Chinese descent. Predominantly Hindu of the Saivite (followers of Shiva) denomination, the community speaks a unique combination of Malay, Tamil and Chinese, that has been called Chetti Creole by scholars. They trace their roots to Kampung Chitty in Gajah Berang, Melaka, and it is estimated that there are 5,000 Chettis in Singapore.

The Indian Heritage Centre (IHC) in collaboration with the Association of Peranakan Indians (Chitty Melaka). Singapore in Singapore proudly presents Chetti Melaka of the Straits – Rediscovering Peranakan Indian Communities, the first of IHC’s community co-created exhibitions.

FOM docents from IHC and from TPM come together to guide this example of assimilation and adaptation, every Wednesday and Friday at 2pm in English.

Photo and text credit: Indian Heritage Centre

English
Our docents write in Passage

Tang Siew Ngoh writes about Ron Dudley, a personality featured in the Indian Heritage Centre's fifth gallery, which explores the making of the nation and the significant contributions of the Indian community. Privileged to have worked alongside this tireless advocate for inclusion, Siew Ngoh quotes his line 'No child should be left standing at the school gate' which is a key insight into his inclusive philosophy. Read the article or visit IHC to learn more.

Tamil
Tamil Tours (on request)

On request

A team of docents are qualified to guide in Tamil for groups, including school groups. This is on request, at least 3 weeks in advance and subject to availability of docents.

English
FOM docent training at IHC

Our docent training program for 2018-19 takes off! Our keen and committed trainees have flung themselves into the program which goes on until January 2019. To be a part of the next cohort, email coordinator.ihc@gmail.com.

In Focus

A history major and an ex-lawyer, Abha Kaul lived and studied in India, France and the USA, and practised law in Delhi, Mumbai and New York before moving to Singapore in 2000.
Abha has been actively involved with the FOM for the last 10 years, first as a docent at the ACM, then the MHC and finally the IHC. She has served as co-head of ACM docent training, and was on the FOM Council for four years, including as Vice President of FOM. She has given talks to FOM members, docents and the public on diverse topics over the years, and is a regular contributor to Passage and the Singapore American newspaper
Currently the FOM coordinator for Study Groups, organising and leading cultural study tours to India have been a true joy for Abha, as travelling with curious, enthusiastic and knowledgeable FOM members and friends greatly enhances the learning experience for all.
Abha is delighted to be part of the docent community at the small and intimate IHC, where it’s a pleasure to share a variety of fascinating details and stories about ancient links between India and SEA, and on Singapore's thriving Indian diaspora.

Spotlight on artefacts, docents and happenings at IHC

This section highlights an artefact or event or docent at the Indian Heritage Centre so do keep coming back for regular updates.