SINGAPORE (TAMIL MURASU) - If you walk along Buffalo Road in Little India, you will notice a new statue of a man wearing a loose headdress confidently sitting on a bullock cart.
It was unveiled on Nov 2 to recall the history of cattle trading and the use of bullock carts in the area.
Bullock carts traversed the streets of Singapore till the mid-20th century and are closely tied to the heritage of Little India and Serangoon.
Buffalo Road and the area surrounding it were known for cattle trading in the 19th and 20th centuries.
The statue, made of fibreglass-reinforced polymarble with faux brass coating, is located at the intersection of Buffalo Road and Serangoon Road and stands next to the Housing Board Block 663 Buffalo Road.
The Tanjong Pagar Town Council, which spearheaded the initiative with the Tekka Residents' Committee to add vibrancy to the neighbourhood, said the project was inspired by the rich history and background of Little India.
"We chose to feature the bullock cart at the heritage park as it is situated in front of a busy traffic junction with high pedestrian traffic," said a town council spokesman.
"The statue is not modelled after anyone, it pays homage to the history of cattle trading and the use of bullock carts in the past in this area."
The statue is surrounded by a gallery of eight panels which describe the 200-year history of the area. They have information on municipal and private housing, designs of shophouses, early industries, meanings behind street names, and nearby heritage sites like Gandhi Memorial Hall and the Kandang Kerbau hospital.
"The statue and gallery enable us to recollect memories of the growth of our community and the richness of our history," said Little India Shopkeepers' and Heritage Association's honorary secretary Ruthirapathy Parthasarathy. "This information will surely benefit tourists and the youth who may not know the history of this area."
The town council spokesman said work on other projects in the neighbourhood are continuing and these are expected to be completed by the first quarter of next year.
- This article was first published in Tamil Murasu.
