Tuesday to Friday- 11am to 12 noon

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).

Special tours for groups, schools and corporates are available on request and subject to availability of docents. Please email IHC Coordinator.

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.

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.

Watch a Straits Times video here

Photo and text credit: Indian Heritage Centre

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.

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.

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.