By BAVANI M
bavanim@thestar.com.my
Photos by CHAN TAK KONG | The Star, Jul 30, 2010

‘Little India’ shaping up

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Handymen: Workers from India working on the Pallavainspired columns that will be part of the highlight of the RM35mil Little India project in Brickfields.

WORK on Phase One of the RM35mil “Little India” project in Brickfields have started with the first fruits of the mega project in the form of traditional columns being constructed along the five-foot way of the restaurants starting from the Sri Kota Supermarket along Jalan Tun Sambanthan.

The columns fronting the shops along the busy road will feature Dravidian designs popular during the “Pallava” era. Workers from Chidambaram and Tamil Nadu, India have been brought in to construct the columns.

On Thursday, the workers were busy painting the columns when StarMetro visited the site.

Atish D’ Resources Sdn Bhd director A. Damodaran, whose company is building the columns, said his workers were trained carvers who were experts in Pallava architecture.

“These carvings were famous during the ‘Pallava’ era thousands of years ago. The Pallava kings are remembered mainly for their contribution towards the Dravidian architecture and sculpture just like the beach temples of Mahabalipuram.

“We decided to incorporate this design as we feel it is the perfect representation of the Indian culture,’’ he said, adding that his company had done work for temples in Malaysia including the famous Maran temple in Pahang and the Mariamman Temple near Jalan Bandar, Kuala Lumpur.

Kuala Lumpur City Hall public works director Siti Saffur Mansor, who was at the site checking on the progress, said phase one of Little India was scheduled to be completed by October.

“The 500m stretch will be tiled complete with arches and columns. Everything must be ready by October and I must say everything looks good,’’ she said.

The project, which covers the area from Jalan Travers to Jalan Tun Sambanthan, will have two arches — one in Jalan Travers and another near the Brickfields police station.

The five-foot way of the restaurants starting from the Kortumalai Restaurant will be lined with the Pallava-inspired columns stretching 500 metres right up to the Pines Restaurant near the Brickfields police station.

The entire stretch of Jalan Tun Sambanthan will also sport Indian-style street lighting akin to the Kuthu Velluku and Kolam designs in many colours.

Other amenities to be set up include a multi-storey carpark, a high-end Indian bazaar, souvenir centres and a food court.

The project will see the charming township transformed into a cultural enclave reflecting the 1Malaysia concept and provide a tourism boost for Brickfields.

The Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing Ministry announced recently that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had invited India’s Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to attend the project’s opening which is expected to be at the end of the year.