One of the cool things about Malaysia is that you can experience the culture of other countries without actually going to those countries. Because there are so many different cultures in Malaysia, you get to experience other cultures such as Chinese, Indonesian, Vietnamese, Western, Philippino, Indian, and the list goes on. In Little India, you get to experience South Indian culture.
Located in Brickfields, Little India has a high population of Indian residents, businesses and grocery stores. Located in one long street, Little India is a very busy place with many people shopping and others displaying their fares. One of the outstanding highlights of Little India is the burst of colours from flowers, fabrics, restaurants and jewellery.
Getting There
Here’s a tip, it will be more fun if you go with your friends. If you are travelling by public transport, you can take the Putra LRT to the KL Sentral station. Alternatively, you can take the monorail train to KL Sentral. Once you get off, you will find yourself in Brickfields and you can start your escapades.
Food
Make sure you try the banana leaf cuisine. Banana leaf generally means rice served with your choice of vegetables, meat and curry served on a banana leaf. Normally you get a set price for all the vegetables you can eat. It is sort of a buffet concept only that there is someone coming to refill your portions. Your meat portion is normally charged separately. Make sure you get them to serve you Papadam which is an Indian style of cracker that goes really well with your meal.
There are many Indian Restaurants here and you definitely must try Anjappar’s Chicken Dum Briyani.
Apart from this, be adventurous and try out different South Indian dishes and sweets. One such sweet is Rava Kesari. It is made out of sugar and semolina and a hint of saffron for flavouring. Maybe takes some getting used to, but definitely worth a try!
Clothing
If ever you are looking to celebrate your Indian friends’ wedding or family function, ask them to take you to Brickfields to help you shop for some traditional rig. Wearing a sari is a true delight and something you should definitely do before you leave Malaysia. To complete your look, there are many stores where you can find grand jewellery to lift your look to the next level.
And if you are a guy, wearing a Jippa will make you feel very royal.
Specialty Services
In Brickfields you can find specialty services targeted at the Indian community such as tailoring of indian clothing, beauty services, waxing and threading services. You can also find shops selling products that you might not find readily elsewhere like castor oil, ayurvedic medicines as well as traditional Indian herbs and even……….peacock feathers! So if you have looked everywhere else for a product and you still can’t find it, try Brickfields.
Best time to go
If you want to experience the most of little India, you want to go during the main Indian festivals like Deepavali, Pongal and Thaipusam. During these festivals, many traders will come to Malaysia to sell their wares and you can get some good prices on items if you know how to bargain. You might also find some unique items that you would not normally find if you shop during this period.