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++KL SIGHTS++ |
LITTLE INDIA // malaysia
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Pictures of Little India Kuala Lumpur Malaysia Maps Interactive photographic map of the entire world!
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Before going on too much further, there is a contradiction which needs to be addressed: what exactly is Little India? and where is it? According to Adrian Logan, over the years both the Masjid India/Lebuh Ampang area and Brickfields have vied to hold the title of Little India. While Brickfields is traditionally associated with the local Indian population (and has the most personality, in my opinion), the Masjid India/Lebuh Ampang area is in the heart of Kuala Lumpur's city centre (and is thus convenient for tourists.) Both areas are a hive of activity during the traditional Hindu celebrations like Deepavali. Many argue that Brickfields should be given the honour to become "Little India", a fact acknowledged by City Hall, which intends to turn the Masjid India/Lebuh Ampang area into a Malay Street.
One Malaysian I encountered, szehoong, explained it this way: "KL had 2 Little Indias. One is the area around Masjid India which is more of a fusion but then again the area next to it is purely Indian and not Indian Muslims which Masjid India is ;) Brickfields is the closest we could get to the actual Little India. The problem is that Jalan Travers is kinda wide and it separates the place into 2! :(."
Another Malaysian, Argory, argues that there in fact three Little India's in KL! "And if you can't choose either," Argory says, "it's good to know that they're all connected by train. The three Little India's are:
But wherever Little India is (and perhaps it is deep down just a state of mind, wherever you wish to find it), one thing is sure:
Brickfields is a well cool place, kind of like a desolate industrial town from the North of England in the 1800s, dropped into the middle of the jungle. I once spent a pleasent 30 minutes or so trudging around a temple I found on the side of the rail line (see photos here.) This was my dream of the perfect South Asian experience, and one fellow visitor to Brickfields, writing on her blog, apparently feels the same: "Last night, I dreamt that I was in India. My hotel room was facing this massive Hindu temple - gods and goddess in elaborate poses and colours. Looking down, I could watch the busy streetlife: the loud vendors, rushing passer-bys, the congested traffic, the noise, the smells - all were vivid. I wanted to take a couple of photos of the people but whenever I raised the camera up, I was met with angry stares.
Talking of the angry stares -- I must add that I when I spent 30 minutes traipsing through the aforementioned Brickfields Tamil temple, taking loads of photos, I did receive the odd angry glance and grimace. Perhaps Brickfields is not the best place to take happy snaps of folks. I had much more luck taking street photos in Mumbai in India proper, but that's another story.
Anyway, Little India as it is traditionally known, expands around Jalan Masjid India, its heady and hedonic heart. It basically covers the area between Jalan Bunus and Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman. One of the oldest streets in the city, Jalan Masjid India takes its name from a mosque (masjid) built in 1870. At the time tin mining was booming in Malaysia, and Indian Muslims were swarming to the region for work. Over time, they built up a community around the India Mosque.
Today, the atmosphere is still swarming. If you visit, expect to find plenty of shops selling saris, Indian silver tableware, perfumed oils, sandalwood oil, and so on, and on. Since the majority of the products on sale here are imported from India, the smells and sights are pretty much what you would expect to find in Chennai, although the air is cleaner and the traffic regulations more strictly enforced than they are in Tamil Nadu. And they don't have five foot ways in India, but they are everywhere in Kuala Lumpur. If you want to get your fortune read you can get your fortune read. Indian palmistry is a big deal here, just as it is in Singapore. I once sought the advice of an Indian palmist in Little India Singapore, and some of his predictions have already come true. He told me that I would have two wives, and one of them would always berate me, always shout at me... but would love me very much. She has already come into my life -- the prediction has been fulfilled, and that is why I respect Indian palmistry.
b r i c k f i e l d s + h i s t o r y A NAME OFTEN SAYS SO MUCH ABOUT THE HISTORY OF A PLACE -- KUALA LUMPUR FOR EXAMPLE MEANS "MUDDY ESTAURY", AND YOU CAN STILL SEE THE MUD IN THE KLANG RIVER TODAY. How do you think Brickfields got its name? Yes, that's right -- they used to grow bricks there! Seriously. Old-time Brickfields' resident Kaulsalya said: "The area was the centre for brick making in the early days when the whole area was a clay pit with cows grazing everywhere. Brickfields produced the best bricks as good quality bricks is made from clay."
S.K.K. Naidu, who is the president of the 80-year-old Sri Sakthi Vinayagar Temple in Brickfields (this may well be the very temple that I visited in 2005, and took the photos which adorn this page), said Brickfields was one of the pioneer settlements in Kuala Lumpur.
“Just take a walk and see the old structures that have withstood the test of time here,” Naidu said.
Indeed, the whole stretch of Jalan Tun Sambanthan (formerly Jalan Brickfields) is interspersed with old colonial structures.
Right at one end of the road you have the century-old Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), which has become an integral landmark in Brickfields.
Further down, at 220 Jalan Tun Sambanthan, and dating from the early 19th Century, is the Vivekananda Ashram. Like its namesakes in India, the Vivekananda Ashram is dedicated to spreading Hindu wisdom and truth. At the moment every Sunday from 10am to 11.15am a Vedanta treatise is presented by D Vinay Kumar (phone 012/212 1342 or email dvinaykumar75@yahoo.com for more information.)
“The charming 100 quarters in Jalan Rozario are still there although modern buildings have cropped up all round,” Naidu said.
Brickfields is also tagged a "Divine Location" as many famous religious structures, some almost 100 years old, are concentrated in the area, particularly upon Jalan Berhala, which runs off Jalan Tun Sambanthan.
The aptly-named road houses the Buddhist Maha Vihara Temple, the Arulmegu Sree Veera Hanuman Temple, the Sri Sakthi Vinayagar Temple, the Lutheran Church and even the 50-year-old Three Teachings Chinese Temple.
For an excellent and paroramic photo essay about the Buddhist Maha Vihara Temple, click here. The temple is located at 123 Jalan Berhala (phone: 03/2273 0150, email: bmvhara@po.jaring.my.)
For those interested in spirituality and a higher meaning to life, you might just find your salvation in Brickfields. Also on Jalan Berhala (which must rank as one of the great centers of Eastern religion) rise the imposing structures of the Buddhist Institute Sunday Dhamma School (connected to the Maha Vihara Temple; phone: 03/2273 0150, 03/2274 1141, same email as the temple), and the Buddhist Missionary Society (also connected to the temple; phone: 03/2273 3835, 03/2274 0245.)
AT nearby 2 Jalan Chan Ah Thong in Brickfields can be found a Buddhist institution called WAVE -- that's short for the Wisdom Audio Visual Exchange. WAVE has an extensive catalog of Dhamma books for free distribution, with titles by such authors as Ajaan Lee, Ajaan Chah, Mahasi Sayadaw, and many others. If you want to get in contact with them or see what they do, phone them on 03/2274 9509 or email them at hockchai@tm.net.my.
b r i c k f i e l d s + s h o p p i n g ONE OF THE GREAT SHOPPING INSTITUTIONS OF MALAYSIA IS THE UBIQITIOUS PASAR MALAM, OR NIGHT MARKET. Naturally, there is one in Brickfields which you ought to check out if you have the chance. Usually held once a week, the pasar malam starts at about 6pm and goes right up till 11pm. This is the archetypal Asian bazaar, dominated by incredible bustle, vibrant sights and tons of interlocking scents and smells. Basically what happens is this: little vans and trucks pull up along a designated street, unload their wares and spread them across several makeshift tables. That is it. You want something on the cheap? You'll find it here, from groceries, clothing, toys, food, accessories, CDs, household items to the latest fads. Naturally, bargaining is mandatory, if you want to get the best value for your ringgit.
Virtual Malaysia reports: "Not too far from Bangsar is Brickfields, the city's second Little India, after Jalan Masjid India. Catered to the predominantly Indian residents of Brickfields, the pasar malam at Jalan Berhala, held every Thursday, is more like a "morning market". More fresh food-oriented, you'll find loads of vegetables, spices, chicken, fresh fish and other seafood. It's the perfect pasar malam if you're too knackered to go marketing in the wee hours of the morn.
"One of the best reasons to come here would be to savour the various Indian snacks, such as vadai, stringhoppers and appum, all freshly made on the spot. There's even a Punjabi food stall with authentic, freshly made chappati, prata and sweetmeats. Not everything at this night market is Indian, though. You can still get your Malay and Chinese food fix with delicious char kueh teow, yong tau foo, tau foo far, lol-lok and nasi lemak."
i n d i a n + f o o d FOR A MORE DETAILED ACCOUNT OF THE INDIAN DINING POSSIBILITIES IN KUALA LUMPUR, CLICK HERE. There are Indian eateries scattered across Kuala Lumpur, but here we are concentrating on the Indian restaurants in Little India. And the selection is:
Restoran Gopala: 59 Jalan Thambypillai,
Brickfields.
Karuna's Vegetarian Restaurant: Grand Paradise Hotel, 62, Jalan Masjid India, Brickfields. Phone: 03/2273 0100.
Vidya Curry House: Brickfields.
n o n i n d i a n + f o o d OF COURSE, THERE IS MORE TO LITTLE INDIA THAN INDIAN RESTAURANTS. This being a multiracial area after all, there are plenty of restaurants representing the cultures and cuisines of the whole wide world. Here is a selection of some of the best:
A GALLERY YOU COULD CHECK OUT IN LITTLE INDIA: Wei-ling Gallery, No. 8 Jalan Scott, Brickfields, K.L. Phone: 03/2274 2368.
b r i c k f i e l d s + a c c o m m o d a t i o n IF YOU WANT TO STAY IN LITTLE INDIA OR BRICKFIELDS, THEN HERE IS THE LOWDOWN:
Florida Hotel: 71-73 Jalan Thambypillai, off Jalan Brickfields.
"Forget the irritating traffic jams into the city. Forget about annoying taxi drivers and expensive fares into the city. Forget the need to check out early for your departure in case you miss your flight. Forget all your worries. Now, you can shop or do your business down to the very last minute.
"Located within a short walking distance from KL Sentral (the new city airport terminal) and renovated in 2003, the hotel offers 41 clean and comfortable guestrooms at affordable rates managed by a team of cheerful staff so that you'll have a great time and more money to spend on shopping! All rooms are fully air-conditioned with attached private bathrooms and toilet, TV, fridge, and IDD phone. The rooms are clean and comfortable and the service caring and cheerful and the room rates are cheap and affordable.
Some of the other places you can stay at in Brickfields Kuala Lumpur:
b r i c k f i e l d s + f a c i l i t i e s MORE IN DEPTH INFORMATION ON PUBLIC SERVICES, BANKS, DOCTORS AND MEDICAL SERVICES AND SO ON IN BRICKFIELDS:
Public Bank Berhad: 68 Jalan Tun Sambanthan, Brickfields. Phone: 03/2272 5930, 03/2273 6494.
g e t t i n g + t h e r e To get to Little India from Masjid Jamek station you can take either the Star LRT or Putra LRT.
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KUALA LUMPUR IS UNUSUAL IN THAT AS WELL AS HAVING A LARGE AND FLAMBOYANT 
"I think my dream was influenced by the fact that I am currently staying in Brickfields for the weekend. There is a very significant proportion of Indians living here that it's become a stereotype - "you're Indian? Do you live in Brickfields?". For the Indian food lover, it's a delight although I must say that Indian food in KL so far have disappointed me."
Woo Lan Restaurant: 19 Jalan Scott, Brickfields. Phone: 03/2274 8368. Map: