These 10 major metropolitan areas are communities where Indian and South Asian culture thrives. Take a tour of these Little India neighborhoods, and learn how traditions have spread and been adapted by the local communities.
1. Kuala Lumpur
Fordsburg is a multicultural neighborhood with a large Indian and Pakistani community. The 1970s Oriental Plaza mall is dedicated to Indian businesses, with spices, saris and food stalls. The Hamidia Mosque is where Mahatma Gandhi famously led a 1908 demonstration to burn identity documents.
1. Kuala Lumpur
Capital of Malaysia
The Brickfields neighborhood in Kuala Lumpur is home to a maze of textile and jewelry stores, plus low-key restaurants serving dosa pancakes and banana-leaf curries. The Hindu temple Sri Kandaswamy Kovil holds golden statues, while the Buddhist Maha Vihara temple features a bodhi tree and domed pagoda.
2. Singapore
Country in Asia
Little India in Singapore is known for its traditional Indian restaurants, malls and tailor shops, especially along Serangoon Road and Race Course Road. The landmark Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple is embellished with colorful statues of Hindu deities.
3. New York City
City in New York, United States
The vibrant neighborhood of Jackson Heights in Queens is home to a South Asian micro-neighborhood centered around a stretch of 74th Street. Indian restaurants serve traditional curries, while fabric emporiums and Bollywood music venues offer up a slice of the subcontinent.
4. Vancouver
City in British Columbia, Canada
Colorful celebrations for Diwali and Vaisakhi draw crowds for parades and street parties in this Punjabi market district on Main Street. Home to a large South Asian community, the area is known for its Indian restaurants and stores, plus a nearby Sikh temple designed by Canadian architect Arthur Erickson.
5. London
Capital of England
Southall has been a South Asian hub since the late 1950s and was a prominent backdrop in the 2002 film, "Bend it Like Beckham." Southall Market has stalls with spices, jewelry and antiques while its Sikh temple, Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha is one of the largest Sikh outside of India.
6. Melbourne
City in Australia
The suburb of Dandenong holds an area of South Asian culture and commerce, known for its large India-themed artworks and street decorations. Named Little India, storefronts here house Indian markets, clothing stores and restaurants.
7. Toronto
City in Ontario, Canada
Gerard Street Bazaar, also called Little India, is a place to experience the sights, sounds and tastes of South Asia. Restaurants specialize in food from North and South India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. The streets fill with celebrations during the Festival of South Asia and Diwali.
8. Tokyo
Capital of Japan
Nishikasai is home to Edogawa Ward, where a small community of Indian expats and businesses thrive. The nearby ISKCON New Gaya Hindu temple is a focal point for locals, while visitors come to enjoy food. Restaurants serve Indian or fusion dishes, and grocery stores stock South Asian produce.
9. Chicago
City in Illinois, United States
Devon Avenue is an internationally diverse area, known for its many Indian and Pakistani restaurants. Salons offer henna tattoos and the giant marker, painted in the intersection of West Devon and North Sacramento avenues, is inspired by a henna design.
10. Johannesburg
City in South Africa
Fordsburg is a multicultural neighborhood with a large Indian and Pakistani community. The 1970s Oriental Plaza mall is dedicated to Indian businesses, with spices, saris and food stalls. The Hamidia Mosque is where Mahatma Gandhi famously led a 1908 demonstration to burn identity documents.