Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Little India!



What a wonderful addition Little India makes on Singapore's landscape... The Malay name of the area around the MRT station is Kandang Kerbau, meaning "Buffalo Stables", and even before exiting the station, the visitor feels that they are about to step up to a 'different' Singapore...


Artwork inside the MRT station, by S. Chandrasekaran


Interestingly enough, there is now a Kerbau (remember! it means buffalo), as well as a Buffalo Rd here now... hopefully it is not too confusing for Malay speakers....



Right between the two streets, a chinese villa of a -back then- prospering businessman, built around 1900, still survives. It is the villa of Tan Teng Niah -try to imagine him walking inside the villa, which must have been standing among the cattle 110 years ago. Tan was a sweet man - owner of a confectionary business, he had also named the villa 'Siew Song', meaning Elegant Pine, for the sake of his wife!



So many shops line up Little India's streets... and right above, beautifully restored windows. From gold and fruit to textiles and cheap electronics, you cannot go wrong here! We buy all our spices in Little India, it is much cheaper than the supermarket, and smells so intense.



Pictures of Hindu Gods are found next to the cheesy baby posters that usually adorn teenage girls' rooms:



So many are the details that make up Little India's special character, like these offerings to the Gods,



the men drinking coffee and chatting loudly, or the families having their Sunday lunch on large banana leaves. Walk around, and let me know what else you discover!

No comments:

Post a Comment