Mini-museums tell story of Little India shops

Madam Meena Gnanapandithan took over the business of providing custom blends of Indian spices from her father-in-law in 2005, but she is still hesitant about changing anything about the shop over a decade later.

"Everything around us is modern now but here, even the wooden baskets holding the spices are filled with tradition and history. I don't want to change a thing," said the 45-year-old.

The spice store, Thandapani Co in Dunlop Street, is one of eight heritage businesses that will put up a storefront mini-museum in a wooden cabinet to showcase the rich history behind their ventures.

The Street Corner Heritage Galleries is an initiative by the National Heritage Board (NHB) to encourage an appreciation for history and heritage in everyday spaces.

The first run of the initiative was launched in Balestier in March 2020, followed by the Kampong Gelam precinct in April last year.

In the Little India edition launched yesterday, stores like Ananda Bhavan vegetarian restaurant and Haniffa Textiles filled their storefront mini-museums with items that are significant to their shop's heritage.

Thandapani Co was founded in the 1960s by Madam Meena's father-in-law, Mr Sanmugam, who came here from India in 1946.

It sells spice mixes and custom blends. "For our regulars and multi-generational customers, we know the taste their families prefer... so we know the perfect proportions to serve them," said Madam Meena.

The shop also serves restaurants and chains, with curry puff chain Old Chang Kee among its past customers.

The shop's mini-museum features the common spices that are used in Indian cooking, as well as a handwritten ingredient list for its house mix, Thandapani Briyani Masala.

In another mini-museum - by Jothi Store and Flower Shop in Campbell Lane, which sells products like items for prayers and religious ceremonies - visitors will find betel leaves, colourful plastic bangles and clay oil lamps.

Now occupying a five-storey building, the store has come a long way from the hole-in-the-wall space it once occupied in 1960.

Mr Murugaia Ramachandra, 90, came to Singapore from India in 1948 and opened the store after a stint as a compositor at The Straits Times in the 1950s.

He expanded the store to include a flower shop after he realised there was a demand for flower garlands to be used in religious offerings in Hindu temples in the area.

Even though his son, Mr Rajakumar Chandra, 63, took over the business in 1985, Mr Murugaia still goes to the store every morning to serve customers.

When the pandemic hit in 2020, both father and son were worried about how customers would be affected. They set up an online site to offer deliveries during the circuit breaker.

Mr Rajakumar said: "Previously, we thought that since Singapore was so small and accessible, there's no need for us to go online.

"But the day that Jothi was told to close due to the circuit breaker... we were shocked but we knew we had to adapt so our customers would still be able to get what they need."

The mini-museums that tell the stories of shops like Jothi Store and Flower Shop and Thandapani Co are aimed at both tourists who are new to Singapore's culture as well as locals who are familiar with the shops, said Ms Cheryl Lim, 25, NHB's assistant manager for education and community outreach.

"These heritage businesses play an important role in defining the precinct's unique character, and with the galleries, their stories are more accessible to the public," she said.

"I'm sure some of their long-time customers may not even know a lot of the history of these shops."

---

Eight businesses under the spotlight

JOTHI STORE AND FLOWER SHOP 

Opened in 1960 as a small shop selling sundry goods, the store now operates out of a five-storey building to provide cultural and everyday items to the community, including floral garlands to fulfil the needs of those heading to the nearby Hindu temple for prayers.

One of the oldest Indian vegetarian restaurants in Singapore, Ananda Bhavan was set up in 1924, serving affordable meals to labourers. It now has more outlets and offers vegan-friendly and fusion dishes.

The meat supplier started out as a mutton stall in the old Tekka Market in 1953, then expanded into wholesale distribution to other wet markets and restaurants. It now also sells chicken and seafood.

The gold and jewellery shop opened in 1948 to provide traditional jewellery like the thali, or wedding pendant. Its customers also buy gold jewellery for other purposes such as as an investment, for religious ceremonies or as family heirlooms.

Haniffa Textiles started as a small roadside stall in Campbell Lane in 1962. At first, it sold lighter Japan-made Nylex saris for everyday use, but later brought in fancier saris as spending habits of local Indian women changed.

Opened in the 1960s , the spice grinder offers custom blends of Indian spices to customers. It also sells spices to restaurants and chains.

Opened in 1947, the Indian vegetarian restaurant was the first in Little India to offer air-conditioned dining in the 1950s. It expanded its menu to include a Punjabi dish, bhatura, in the 1970s.

The Banana Leaf Apolo is well-known for upholding the tradition of serving food on banana leaves since it opened in 1974. The restaurant is also known for its fish head curry, and now has four other outlets.