Category: Malaysia

Leaving the hotel late afternoon with just a little drizzle outside, I embarked on this heritage trail with a mission to complete it as outlined on the Malaysia Traveller website. With a very good dose of euphoria largely due to being in the state of transition between jobs; I even decided to wear a long dress (yes, right, a long dress to do a walking tour!) just for the fun of it. I booked the complimentary shuttle from the hotel in Bangsar to get to KL Sentral where, according to the website, is the best place to start this heritage walk. I was the only one on the shuttle to KL Sentral, since it is already close to late afternoon by the time I set off. The ride took a total of 5 mins in the minivan without the famous traffic of Kuala Lumpur.

It took me a while to find the connecting bridge to Nu Sentral from the KL Sentral train station; Google map just doesn’t show walking paths, only car roads. Once inside this modern shopping centre, the sign to the road Jln Tun Sambanthan was just around the corner. I followed the sign to get out of the building. The sky was already dark with the sound of thunders rumbling from afar. Looking down at the street from the bridge, the row of Indian style pavilion sketched alongside the road. I am now in Little India of the KL city, a section of the city that is steeped in history, and religion.

This part of the city is named Brickfields because it was once a place full of clay pits to make bricks. Post fire and flood in the Kuala Lumpur town in 1881, the existing structures of wood and thatched atap houses were all destroyed. This made way for the more sturdy houses made of brick and tile. Claypits were dug up and kilns were built, making this area famous for good quality clay bricks. This area was also the main deport for the Malayan Railway. During the British rule, many Indians from Sri Lanka were brought in to work on the railway. The depot is now KL Sentral, the city’s main transport hub; and the Sri Lankan immigrants became the forefathers of the Indian communities here in Brickfields today.

Rain poured within seconds, and I was contemplating stopping at one of the chic cafes for coffee before moving on, but decided against it, betting on it being only a quick afternoon shower. Crossing the bridge and getting down to the street level of Jln Tun Sambanthan on the opposite side, I walked past numerous traditional eateries and higher-end Indian restaurants. The familiar fragrance of typical Indian spice flooded the air.

Continue reading “A Little Bit of History, A Whole Load of Faith… an afternoon roam around Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur” →