Kerbau Road
We
learnt previously that ‘Kerbau’ means buffalo in Malay. The road was named
Kerbau Road when cattle trading developed into the main economic activity of
the area. Most of the Indian Muslim slaughterhouses and tanneries were
situated along the Jalan Besar-Sungei Road areas. The famous Tekka Market,
erected in 1915 at the junction of Serangoon and Bukit Timah roads, would have
been one of first centralized sites where retailers sold their cattle produce. This
drew many Indian who were involved in cattle and dairy trade as business owners
and labours to start settling in the area.
Cattle produce was not the only commercial
value these animals had. They occupy a vital place in the history of
transportation in pre-war Singapore. Horses were not widely used to transport
goods, nor had motor-driven trucks made any impact till the late 1920s. Hence,
the bullock cart was the main transportation vehicle for commerce till the
inter-war years.
Among the most visible trades along Serangoon Road were the
glittering wares of the Indian goldsmiths. In the old days, there were a lot of
goldsmith shops around Buffalo Road and Kerbau Road, whose staff were dressed
in traditional outfits comprising of ‘wayshti’. Gold jewelry is very
much a part of the Indian “cultural ornaments” that the Indian community
flaunts during festive occasions. Hence, with the Indian community congregating
along Little India, a multitude of goldsmiths centred their trades there too.
References
http://heritagetrails.sg/content/977/Kerbau_Road.html
http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_1456_2009-02-11.html
http://www.littleindiadirectory.com/singapore/business/great-united-goldsmith-jewellery/
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