New exhibition puts spotlight on Tamils in Singapore, region

Artist Anurendra Jegadeva explaining his artwork, titled Heart In Hand, A Marriage of Identities, to Ms Yeoh Chee Yan (second from left), chairman of the National Heritage Board (NHB), Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat and NHB chief executive Chan
Artist Anurendra Jegadeva explaining his artwork, titled Heart In Hand, A Marriage of Identities, to Ms Yeoh Chee Yan (second from left), chairman of the National Heritage Board (NHB), Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat and NHB chief executive Chang Hwee Nee, during the launch of the exhibition at the Indian Heritage Centre yesterday. ST PHOTO: KHALID BABA

Asked to think of a Tamil Singaporean pioneer, many would probably name businessman Naraina Pillai, who came to Singapore with Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles in 1819.

But far less well-known are the names of other prominent Tamils, and the history of Tamils in the region that predates the colonials by more than 600 years.

An exhibition launched by Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat at the Indian Heritage Centre (IHC) yesterday evening highlights the diverse and long history of Tamils in Singapore and the region.

Ms Nalina Gopal, the exhibition's curator, said that Tamils have had a "continuous, uninterrupted connection" here since the pre-modern era.

"We wanted to piece together a story that has been quite scattered, creating a long-term narrative that extends centuries back and also showcases the diverse roles that Tamils in Singapore played," she said.

It took more than a year to negotiate the loans of exhibits and donations for this exhibition.

Titled From The Coromandel Coast To The Straits: Revisiting Our Tamil Heritage, the exhibition features more than 230 objects.

Among them are a magnificent 12th century bronze statuette of Nataraja - the classic dancing form of the Hindu deity Siva.

It is on loan from India's National Museum in New Delhi and is one of several artefacts borrowed from overseas institutions, including those in Malaysia and Indonesia.

  • VISIT THE EXHIBIT

  • WHAT: From The Coromandel Coast To The Straits: Revisiting Our Tamil Heritage

    WHEN: Nov 23 to June 30, 2020

    WHERE: Indian Heritage Centre, Campbell Lane, Level 2

    TICKETS: Free for children below six, Singaporeans and permanent residents; $6 for foreigners up to 59 years old, and $4 for those 60 and above.

    INFORMATION: indianheritage.org.sg/en

One of the more unusual objects on show is a fragment of a ship's bell, made in Tamil Nadu and inscribed in Tamil, but found in New Zealand.

Missionary William Colenso had come across the country's native Maori people using the bell fragment as a cooking pot in 1841.

A highlight of the exhibit is a 3D holographic showcase of parts of the mysterious Singapore Stone, which dates as far back as the 11th century and was located at the mouth of the Singapore River before it was blown up by the British.

It was inscribed in what experts say is Kawi script.

Visitors can virtually rotate computer-simulated models of two of the stone's fragments by touch. The models created are based on rubbings from 1848.

Also featured are three specially commissioned artworks, one of which is by Singaporean artist Kumari Nahappan, whose public sculptures of spices are at Ion Orchard and the National Museum of Singapore.

A similar work of hers is displayed outside the IHC, aptly named Masala and depicting three key spices in Tamil cuisine: chilli, clove and nutmeg.

Taking place alongside the first two weekends of the exhibition is the IHC CultureFest, which includes trails in Little India, a line-up of performances and panel discussions.

Admission to the exhibition, which runs till next June 30, is free for Singaporeans and permanent residents.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on November 23, 2019, with the headline New exhibition puts spotlight on Tamils in Singapore, region. Subscribe