Brickfields
is many things to many people: a concentrated wedge of Indian culture; a
bewildering smorgasbord of different worship houses; a haven of blind massage
centres; the crossroads for commuters coming in from all parts of the country;
a perfect study in contrasts. However you define it, one thing is in agreement:
Brickfields is a vibrant community with a soul of its own. Brickfields began as
the centre of brick-making in the late 19th century, after a huge fire and
flood swept through Kuala Lumpur in 1881. The double disasters took turns
destroying the town’s wooden and thatched structures. Sir Frank Swettenham,
British resident at that time, responded by ordering the use of brick and tile
in the construction of buildings, thus summoning the town’s purpose into being.
The area soon developed as the nation’s main locomotive depot for the Malayan
Railway during the colonial administration. The sights, sounds and colours of
South Asia came to Brickfields along with the human capital brought in to work
the railway and depot, which have since been transformed into KL Sentral, the
nation’s transportation hub.
These
days, old government quarters (The Hundred Quarters, built in 1905) can still
be found around Jalan Rozario. As you walk along the roads and alleys, the
smell of curries drift to entice passers-by, while popular Indian songs blast
from family-run businesses that also seem to run round the clock. In 2009,
Little India was moved from the area surrounding Jalan Masjid India to
Brickfields, in recognition of the township’s status as one of the pioneer
Indian settlements in Kuala Lumpur, and its potential to further develop as a
centre for Indian culture. Visit the Vivekananda Ashram (1904), which is still
used for spiritual education classes, prayer meetings and yoga. The Temple of
Fine Arts (TFA) can be found closer to the river along Jalan Berhala.
Famous
Southern Indian restaurant, Annalakshmi, is housed in the TFA building. Other
notable attractions are the Sri Lankan Hindu Temple, Sri Kandaswamy Temple on
Jalan Scott and the Buddhist Temple Maha Vihara. The Zion Lutheran Church
(1924), St Mary’s Syrian Orthodox Church and Holy Rosary Church (1903), as well
as the Madrasathul Gouthiyyah Surau, a mosque built in the 1980s catering
mostly to Indian Muslims can also be found in the area.
These
attractions can be visited through the Brickfields Guided Walking Tour, held
every first and third Saturday, starting at 9.30am from the YMCA. Run by the
Kuala Lumpur City Hall, Brickfields’ fascinating history is explained in detail
through the walk.
