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A large crowd of people at a street festival. The street is closed for the event, and many signs and tents are displayed.

Big Stories in Little India

Located on Gerrard Street East, between Greenwood and Coxwell, is Toronto’s Little India. Home since the 1970s to restaurants, clothing stores, and more, this area grew into an economic enclave for South Asians around the world who settled around Toronto.

From Bollywood to Bazaar — this community and Toronto BIA originated from a Bollywood theatre.  

Explore the history of Toronto’s Little India, from the development of the surrounding Leslieville neighbourhood to the beginnings of the bazaar to the new generation leading the neighbourhood today.

The neighbourhood has gone through many iterations, from rural farmland to industrial brickyards to cozy neighbourhoods. In the 1960s, the suburbia boom and changes in Canadian immigration laws led to a boom of south Asian run businesses, creating “Little India,” today known as Gerrard India Bazaar.

This digital tour was developed by Emerging Historian Sarah Takhar (2024) and made possible by the generous support of our Tours Program Presenting Sponsor, TD Bank Group through the TD Ready Commitment, and the Gerrard India Bazaar Business Improvement Area (BIA).

Last updated: January 6, 2026

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If you’re exploring on a mobile device, please abide by all traffic and safety rules. Only look at your device when you are standing stationary in a safe location!

Resources

Bateman, Chris. “What Little India used to look like in Toronto.” blogTO. Article published November 30, 2014.

Bauder, Harald and Angelica Suorineni. “Toronto’s Little India: A Brief Neighbourhood History.” Toronto Metropolitan University. Online resource published June 30, 2010.

Hudson, Andrew. “Dinner and a movie the start of the Gerrard India Bazaar.” Beach Metro, June 16, 2015.

South Asian Studies Institute. “History of South Asians in Canada: Timeline.” University of the Fraser Valley.

Cromwell, Tendisai. “Mosque One: Home of Toronto’s First Muslims.” Tessellate Institute. Short documentary released April 4, 2015. 

TVO. “Little India: Village of Dreams.” Documentary and additional short videos on Little India published July 1, 2017.

Yelaja, Prithi. “Little India: Six blocks, many stories.” Toronto Star, August 25, 2007.

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