New statue recalls cattle trading past in Little India
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Located at the intersection of Buffalo Road and Serangoon Road, the statue recalls a time when cattle trading and the use of bullock carts were common in the area. Beside the statue are eight panels which describe the 200-year history of Little India.
ST PHOTO: TIMOTHY DAVID
Vengadeshwaran Subramaniam
If you walk along Buffalo Road in Little India, you will notice a new statue of a man wearing a loose headdress confidently sitting in a bullock cart.
It was unveiled on Monday to recall the history of cattle trading and the use of bullock carts in the area. Bullock carts traversed Singapore's streets until the mid-20th century and are closely tied to the heritage of Little India and Serangoon.
Buffalo Road and its surroundings 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 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 describing 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.
"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 young people who may not know the history of this area."
The town council spokesman said work on other projects in the neighbourhood is continuing and these are expected to be completed by the first quarter of next year.
• This article was first published in Tamil Murasu.
