The Little India enclave along Jalan Tengku Kelana, Klang is the biggest Indian street in Malaysia. Fierce competition among shop owners translate into cheaper prices for consumers, and people are literally spoilt for choice amidst the rows of shops on the left and right sides of the road, with stalls spilling onto the sidewalks and backlanes. Myriads of items such as saris, colorful accessories such as bangles and necklaces, textiles, stainless steel pots, Indian delicacies, gold and flowers are sold here.
During Deepavali, the street is transformed into a colorful spectacle of light and sound befitting the “festival of light”. Most shop owners pool their resources together to decorate the street and the walkways of their shops. The street will be decorated weeks before the actual festival. The atmosphere is eletrifying and traffic will be clogged up as thousands of people make their way from as far as Singapore to make their purchases. Some shop owners will also invite shoppers into their shops to sample delicacies and to celebrate the festival together.
It is easy to be caught up in the throngs of people walking in the narrow walkways, but a little awareness and precaution should be practiced for your own safety. Police patrol the street during the festive season to avoid unwanted incidents and to control traffic flow. Moreover, the Klang main police headquarters is just a stone’s throw away from the street. So this area is quite safe for tourists.
Parking in this area is very limited, so it is advisable to take public transport to Little India. The bus station is located at the beginning (or the end to some people) of the street. Take the Metrobus from the junction facing Pasar Seni, Kuala Lumpur, This bus goes all the way to the Klang bus station. Alternatively, you can take the train from KL Sentral and alight at Klang station. Indian Street is only ten minutes away from the train station.
