Brickfields Revisited - Little India

When talking of 'Little India' in KL, the Jalan Masjid India area comes to mind. Maybe we can include Lebuh Ampang as well.


However, of late, there has been a lot of fuss about Brickfields being 'Little India'. There is a sizable Tamil population in the Brickfields area, but that is also true of Sentul and there are 'Indian' settlements in Kampung Pandan, Air Panas and Selayang/Batu Caves areas among others.


Anyway, its been a while since I've been to Brickfields, so I decided to pay the place a visit.


Although, the Prime Minister of India has already visited and officiated the area together with our own Prime Minister, the area still seems very much a 'work-in-progress'.

Large designs representing 'kolams' have been painted on the roads.
Kolams are usually done in front of Hindu homes especially in South India.  It is traditionally done using course ground rice flour and provides food for ants, birds and other small creatures.

Street lights have been changed.

A contemporary sculpture of a traditional dancer has been erected there - probably symbolic of embracing modernity while holding on to our culture and traditions. 

A fountain with Indian motifs has been placed at the junction of Jalan Travers and Jalan Tun Sambanthan.

Colorful arches have been erected along part of the road.
Personally, I think that these are a waste of money and will soon turn into an eyesore with bills and posters plastered on them and unlicensed traders using them to display their wares.

This restaurant is being renovated to give it the 'ethnic' look.

Businessmen are quick to capitalize on a good thing.  This is now 'Najib's Corner'.

I chanced upon this lorry delivering banana leaves to the many restaurants here and elsewhere.  Looking at this load, there must be large plantations to provide these quantity of leaves daily.

 

 

 

The Global Indian International School is along Lorong Abdul Samad.  I seem to have missed this school during my earlier post.
The GIIS is established by the Global Indian Foundation, a Singapore based non-profit foundation.  Click here for their website.

I was wondering why these two Catholic Chinese schools have not merged as one when they operated from the same premises.  Then I realized that one is a girls' school while the other is all boys. 

I saw this Malay styled wooden house at the end of Jalan Berhala near the Buddhist Vihara. 

The Nepali guard stationed there was unable to provide any information on the property except to say that the building is currently unoccupied.