Fah Thai Magazine Jan-Feb 2019

KL CULTURAL HUBS
Top Right
Sri Mahamariamman
Temple is the oldest
Hindu temple in
Kuala Lumpur,
dating back to the
19th century.
Clockwise from
Bottom Left
Also known as Little
India, the area
of Brickfields is
home to several
Hindu temples.
A vendor’s stall
inside the lively
Chow Kit Market.
On the weekends,
Jalan Masjid India
closes to traffic,
turning into a giant
street market.
Jalan Masjid India
is renowned for its
range of Indian and
Malay food.
THE TWO LITTLE INDIAS
KL has not one but two Little
Indias. These days that term
is most commonly linked with
Brickfields, a large neighbourhood
with a heavy Indian population.
But the original Little India is
the area which surrounds the
thoroughfare of Jalan Masjid
India, which is located midway
between Chinatown and Kampung
Baru in the city’s inner-west.
This neighbourhood is home
to my favourite street market
in KL. Each weekend, Jalan
Masjid India is blocked off to
heavy vehicle traffic as close to
500m of the street is lined with
temporary stalls. These stalls
sell everything from snacks like
roti pancakes to clothes, fashion
accessories, household items,
books, electronics and toys. The
range of items available is quite
remarkable. The best time to visit
is in the late afternoon so you can
avoid the searing sun and finish
your shopping expedition with a
plate of succulent Mutton Biryani,
an Indian comfort food, at one
of the small restaurants near the
northern end of the market.
Far more tourists, however,
venture to Brickfields, partly
because of its handy location
alongside KL Sentral, the city’s
transport hub. While Sentral and
the shopping centre attached to
it is filled with chain stores and
international brands, the moment
you step foot into Brickfields it
seems like you could be on the
streets of Mumbai or Bangalore.
Small, family-run shops play
jaunty Bollywood music while
selling Indian spices, snacks,
colourful sari dresses and specialty
goods like Toran Hindu decorations
and Diya oil lamps. Particularly
popular among tourists are the
small stalls and shops which
offer Henna, a decorative form of
impermanent Indian tattoo.
The spiritual side of Brickfields
comes to life in its many temples.
The beautiful Hindu temples of Sri
Kandaswamy Kovil and Vivekananda
Ashram are welcoming to visitors,
as are the Maha Vihara and Sam
Kow Tong Buddhist temples. To
truly get a feel for KL’s Indian
influence, it is highly recommended
to visit both Brickfields and Jalan
Masjid India.
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