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Last Updated on 6-4-2013 SAT 10:37AM

INDIA  STREET  PEDESTRIAN  MALL
KUCHING CITY
India Street Pedestrian Mall

India Street Pedestrian Mall

India Street Pedestrian Mall is an interesting place to visit in Kuching.

The India Street derives its name from the fact that it has always been a street occupied by the Indian Shops. Most of the Indians are from the southern and northern India. At first, it was called as the Kling Street in the 1850’s, but the Third White Rajah of Sarawak, Sir Charles Vyner Brooke changed the name to India Street in 1928.

In 1992, the street was closed to vehicular traffic and converted into a pedestrian mall.
All types of vehicles are prohibited from entering and being parked at the India Street Shopping Centre here effective April 1, 2013


Kuching City North Commission (DBKU) had decided to close all the entrances from India Street Gateway to Sarawak Tourism Complex (Old Court House).


In a press statement yesterday, the commission said Kai Joo Street and the area facing India Street Gateway (near the taxi area and facing Open Air Market) had been designated as unloading zone.


All unloading activities to be done at the special zone.


Meanwhile, DBKU is in the midst of organising ‘Kempen Mengecat’ (painting campaign) in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of Sarawak’s progress in Malaysia.


The campaign also represents an effort to keep Kuching City clean and beautiful in line with the Kuching CBS Enhancement Plan 2013-2017. The four-year plan aims at engaging citizens in maintaining the city for a liveable and presentable place for all as well as becoming one of the most renowned cities in Asia.

 RM1 Million to turn India Street into a ‘house within a house’

India Street, set up in late 1840s, is ready to embrace a facelift involve keeping all the shop houses and the street itself under a shelter.

India Street Pedestrian Mall Committee chairman Datuk Wee Hong Seng said the proposed facelift had been agreed to by 95% of the shop owners and was waiting for Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib’s approval.

The facelift would benefit shoppers and the traders who were the long-term stakeholders.

Keeping the street under a shelter was important to ensure that shopping could go on uninterrupted whether in rain or shine.

Currently, livelihood of traders is linked to the weather pattern. Each time it rains, their income for that day will be below normal as it is a deterrent for tourists and local customers.

The proposed facelift was deemed necessary as more locals and tourists coming to the area soon after the completion of Plaza Merdeka shopping mall in November 2012.

The proposed Plaza Merdeka Hotel would follow suit in 2013 while the renovation and upgrading works of the Open Air Market could commence soon.

Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib had approved the shelter project and announced Friday April 27, 2012 an allocation of RM1million for the Kuching City North Commission to begin work.

Efforts to transform India Street to a pedestrian shopping mall were realized in 1992, making the mall the first of its kind in Malaysia.

India Street has a long and unique historical heritage and enjoys the benefit of being a special tourist attraction for both local and foreign visitors.

India Street Pedestrian Mall will have a modern shopping-arcade outlook, complete with covered rooftops.

Work to upgrade India Street, is scheduled to start early 2013


India Street has a history of 165 years, including the last 20 years as a pedestrian mall.  Today the street is a shopping haven for vibrant tourists and locals alike.


There are very few places in Kuching City that can boast a long and continuous history of being a famous shopping spot. India Street has benefited so much due to the willingness of their traders to embrace change.


Businesses must not only rely on locals but should cater for tourists as well as the state had been able to attract some 3.8 million visitors annually.

In 2011, tourist arrivals jumped 16 per cent compared to the year 2010. In the first quarter of this year, it had already surpassed the 2011 figure by 21 per cent.


Areas stretching from Hilton Hotel to Ban Hock Road and the old state mosque would be gradually upgraded to attract more foreigners and those from the higher income group.


Plaza Merdeka Mall was opened on Nov 11, 2012.


Upgrading work on the nearby Open Air Market would start soon.

The idea of covered rooftops, which was mooted in 2010, came about from Bugis Junction in Singapore and Petaling Street in Kuala Lumpur.

 

Further reading : http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/4/26/sarawak/11174706&sec=sarawak

http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/04/26/cm-gives-india-street-proposal-a-big-push/

 

India Street Pedestrian Mall

 

India Street : a pedestrian walkway of variety of colorful textiles, clothing, crockery and other essentials in a manner not changed much in the past decades.

Jalan India is lined with shops selling all kinds of goods, particularly textiles. Mid-way down Jin India (if you can find it!) there is a narrow passageway that leads to Jin Gambier, where the fruit, vegetable and fish markets and the spice merchants are located. If you follow this passageway you'll pass a small Mosque hidden away in the middle of the city. The Mosque's structure has undergone many changes since it was originally built by Kuching's Indian Muslim community in the mid 19th century.

India Street is a day mall best visited in the day time when most shops open only till 6pm in the evening.

India Street Pedestrian Mall Committee chairman is Wee Hong Seng

This is the best place to shop for spices, clothing, textiles, souvenirs, this is one place you can visit. You can even get your clothes tailored.

This street used to be one of the busiest streets of the old Kuchingtown and was the main place to get clothes from around the world. Indian merchants were dominant then.

Now most of the shops are now Chinese operated, there are still a number of Indian curry-houses, spice shops and textile merchants here.

Today, the pedestrian mall has transformed into a street for fashionable clothes to funky wear and food outlets to hardware shops. The assortment of goods available is quite astonishing and be sure to venture into the various alleys on either side of the street to discover the hidden treasures of India Street.

Little Lebanon is a restaurant at one end of India street. An ideal place to stop for lunch. Serving mainly authentic Lebanese, Middle Eastern and local favorites, the restaurant has a good choice to pick from and suited for adults and children alike. An opportunity to  discover the taste of Lebanon through their offerings of Shawarma, Kebabs, Arabic Sausages, Kiftah Halabi, Hommus and a variety of Pita Bread specialties. The interior is beautifully decorated with Middle Eastern design setting and highly romantic for couples to spend an evening together over a meal. Sample their bread as it is made in-house and the fresh oven baked smell is simply irresistible.  Little Lebanon Open daily from 10.00am to 10.30pm.

 

Indian Mosque Lane is a narrow passageway locally known as “Lorong Sempit” . This small lane  lead to Gambier Road. The lane is so narrow that at one section only one person can walk pass at anytime.
 


INDIAN MOSQUE LANE

A small passageway (locally known as “Lorong Sempit”) that connects India Street Pedestrian Mall and Gambier Road.  A popular short-cut for shoppers who patronized the area. Built originally as the access to the Indian Mosque located between the Mall and Gambier Road. The doors and steps which marked the beginning of the passageway from the Mall side have been restored in their original state since early seventies.

More about : Masjid Bandar Kuching

INDEX of Kuching City  April 06, 2013 10:16:57 PM

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