3. 3
1.0 Introduction
The Little India enclave along Jalan Tengku Kelana, Klang is the biggest Indian street
in Malaysia. Fierce competition among shop owners translate into cheaper prices for
consumers, and people are literally spoilt for choice amidst the rows of shops on the left and
right sides of the road, with stalls spilling onto the sidewalks and back lanes. Myriads of
items such as saris, colorful accessories such as bangles and necklaces, textiles, stainless
steel pots, Indian delicacies, gold and flowers are sold here.
The little india that sits along Jalan Tengku Kelana is located right behind Jalan istana
where Galeri Diraja Sultan Abdul Aziz located at. The British Colonial styled gallery housed in
a two-storey building originally known as "The White House", this building was built in the
year 1909 and today is know n as Bangunan Sultan Suleiman or Sultan Suleiman Building. It
was first used as Klang District Office which managed land and property issues. You can still
see the concrete safes that were believed to have been used to keep all the land titles and
other important documents.
Figure 1 Site Map where red indicates the location of Little India.
4. 4
2.0 Introduction to cognitive mapping
Cognitive maps are mental representations of physical locations. Humans and
animals use them to find their way and to help recall important features of the environment.
The term was introduced by psychologist E. C. Tolman to explain how rats learned the
locations of rewards in a maze. A cognitive map provided the rat with a useful model of the
environment. Irrelevant or unimportant information was excluded from the mental map. Of
particular influence has been Kevin Lynch's The image of the City (1960), which centered the
environmental component of spatial memory, introducing the "imagibility" and the
discussion of spatial cognition into the discourse of architects and urban planners. More
recently, cognitive mapping has been challenged by the notion of the "cognitive collage"
(Tversky 2001: 12.1), which recognizes the multi-sensory nature of spatial memory and the
pre-perceptual structures that lead to memory creation.
5. 5
Figure 2 the first map is drawn by Woo Wen Jian, 21, Visited Little India via Google Map.
Figure 3 the Second map is drawn by the same person, Arrived through the bridge from North Klang and arrive to Little
India through Jalan Tengku Kelana.
6. 6
Figure 4 the third map is drawn by the same person, Remapping Little India after coming back from site.
Little India
Little india is considered to be the precedent to the being of Klang. Most people
conducted the survey along Jalan Tengku Kelana are aware of the overwhelmed crowd that
wonders along the street compared to the adjacent streets such as Jalan istana and Jalan
Mohet. There is a few clear edges that clearly define the boundary of the site one of it being
the Klang river that separates both North Klang and South Klang. Klang North used to be the
main commercial centre of Klang, but since 2008, more residential and commercial areas as
well as government offices are being developed in Klang South.
7. 7
Similarity
Both of the maps have featured these landmarks.
1. Little India
2. Police station & bomba
3. Masjid India Klang
4. Royal Gallery
5. Chennai Silk House
During the survey, there are also frequent mentions of
1. Klang River
2. Government offices
3. Existing royal district
4. Banks
5. Multicultural background
6. Traditional shophouses
There are more similarities between Map 2 and Map 3 as both of them are drew
after conducted the site survey hence the memories towards the site is more strong
compared to Map 1 which is drew as a tourist point of view based on “moving around” in
Google Map. In Furthermore, Map 2 and Map 3 contain more systematic analysis of the
area, such as having the Klang river as an important edges and LRT station as the main node.
Across three maps, Little India, Masjid India Klang, The Sultan Abdul Aziz Royal Gallery and
Chennai silk house are illustrated as important landmarks as well as Little India being the
main prominence landmarks of that area. In Map 1 the landmarks are sort of scattered
around the South Klang district while in Map 2 and Map 3, the landmarks are more likely is
noted along Jalan Tengku Kelana as well as Jalan Istana. This occurs because in Map 1, the
author can be easily identifying the prominent looking building around the more landmarks
8. 8
are marked as such. The India Kland mosque, located at a junction along Jalan Tengku
Kelana, is characterized by the packed of believers during Friday prayers. This is seen
illustrated in both Map 2 and Map 3, (The author indicated places with high human traffic
with an arrow) shows indication of high volume traffic at the mosque area.
Figure 5 Image of India Klang Mosque, Klang.
9. 9
The three maps also showed that all of them to have The Sultan Abdul Aziz Royal
Gallery and Chennai silk house as their landmarks. The two landmarks sit along Jalan Istana
and opposite to each other at a junction. The historical building that houses belongings of
the previous kings has been a historical landmark for both the local and tourist while the
Chennai silk house is a white dominant building that is famous for its good deals of silk and
cloth.
Figure 6 Sultan Abdul Aziz Royal Gallery, Klang.
Figure 7 Chennai Silk House, Klang.
10. 10
Map 2 and map 3 also displayed another similarity. Both maps illustrated the Klang
LRT station as being a nodal point. This is due to the strong memory about the Klang LRT
station being a distinctive area of dispersion of human traffic where this is one of the only
public transport that connects Klang with another parts of Selangor. Whereas in Map 1 Klang
LRT station is not noted due to the reason the human activity and movement patterns are
not able to be seen through the internet.
11. 11
Dissimilarities
Between Map 1 and Map 2 there are differences in how the author remembers the
streets of Jalan Tengku Kelana. Map 1 which was drew after “travelling” the area through
google map, shows that the author remember the streets by the repetitive heights of the
shop houses and uses sketches to represent the memory of the area. Whereas in Map 2
which was drew right after the site visit, shows that the author remember Jalan Tengku
Kelana by the profile of the street culture by using color (purple is a colour synonymous to
the Indian Culture) and smell by the street.
Adding on to the point of “Google map travelling”, it can be seen that Map 2 and map
3 differs greatly from map 1. From the 3 maps, Map 1 offers very little texture and
indication of memory of the area because the author just used visual senses to depict what
is going on at the site area and have not explored further in term of with other senses. Map
2 and map 3 included more textures such as walkways paths, colors, trees and building
profiles as the author went to Little India with the intention to observe and study the area
with all the 5 senses.
12. 12
Based on Map 1, there is plenty of road drew and the focus is quite scattered
throughout Jalan Tengku Kelana, Jalan Mohet and Jalan Istana. This is due to the reason
easy access to all the streets via the internet medium. There is not limitation to explore the
area as long as the streets are recorded by google map. However in Map 2 and 3, the most
prominent road highlighted was Jalan Tengku Kelana and slightly mentioning Jalan Istana.
The focus on these two streets is highly due to the traffic flow at the site. The vehicular
circulation is more easily access via these two streets compared to the back lanes and some
side lanes. The form of the building blocks sort of created a grid pattern that affected the
movement pattern to move slightly slower due to the grid lock disadvantages.
Figure 8 Image of the Little India, Klang.
13. 13
3.0 Relation to Kelvin Lynch: Imageability
Lynch wrote that an image is "a picture especially in the mid", an integration between
the tangible city image and the intangible human perception.
When studying the image of the Little India area, it is interesting to note how it is made up
on the whole. Generally, the shop houses lined around the Little India area share a
homogenous profile, characterized by similar height, material, colour and style. The author,
Lych argues that “the more these characters overlap, the stronger the impression of a unifies
region.” (pg 104) This enhances the identity of the area.
As seen in Jalan Tengku Kelana, the shophouses still retain the old shophouses typology and
along the street, there are many restaurants and some Indian stores still blasting loud music,
making the road very vibrant and a distinctive identity is retain reflect the cultural group.
However the amount of an image of a city is not consistent everywhere but also
punctuate with landmarks. Most of the landmarks in Little India are in british colonial styles
or at least, in memory, as evidenced in Map 1 and 2. For example the Sultan Abdul Aziz Royal
Gallery easily remembered as the landmark that looks alienated from the surrounding as it is
one of the few British colonial building.
14. 14
Lynch’s main argument on the physical image ability of a city is mostly based on 5 elements.
Paths:
Paths consists of the "channels along which the observer customarily, occasionally, or
potentially moves" (Lynch, p. 47). These can include streets, paths, transit routes, or any
other defined path of movement. It is important to note that the paths an individual
identifies may not correspond to a traditional street network. These are often the most
predominant items in an individual's mental map as this is main mechanism for how they
experience their city.
Edges:
Edges provide the boundaries that separate one region from another, the seams that join
two regions together, or the barriers that close one region from another. They are linear
elements, but are not the paths along with the individual experiences the built environment.
They can be physical edges such as shorelines, walls, railroad cuts, or edges of development,
or they can be less well-defined edges that the individual perceives as a barrier.
Districts:
Districts are "medium-to-large sections of the city" (Lynch, p. 47). They are typically two-
dimensional features, often held together by some commonality. The individual often enters
into or passes through these districts. According to Lynch, most people use the concept of
districts to define the broader structure of their city.
Nodes:
Nodes are points within the city, strategically located, into which the individual enters (and
which is often the main focal point to which she or he is traveling to or from). There are
often junctions – a crossing or converging of paths. They often have a physical element such
as a popular hangout for the individual or a plaza area. In many cases, the nodes are the
centers of the district that they are in.
Landmarks:
Landmarks are also a point-reference (similar to nodes). However, unlike nodes, which the
individual enters during his or her travels, landmarks remain external features to the
individual. They are often physical structures such as a building, sign, or geographic features
(e.g. mountain). The range of landmarks is extensive, but the commonality is that there are
used by the individual to better understand and navigate the built environment.
15. 15
Using Lynch’s theory to analyse the maps, one can see that the paths used by all
three maps are different based on their intentions/ starting point. However, all three maps
identified Jalan Tengku Kelana as the main path. Edges are shown most clearly in map 3
where the author showed the presence of Jalan Dato Hamzah which determines edges of
the Little India. Using Lynch’s definition of district and by analyzing the maps, there are two
clear districts within the area of Little India. One is the Commercial districts where all the
Indian stores and bargaining happens and another district is religion district, where all the
religion platforms located close to one another. The area around Jalan Dato Hamzah, Jalan
Mohet and Jalan Bukit Jawa, there are Masjid India Klang, St Barnabas Church Gurdwara
Sahib, Klang Chinese Methodist Church and Sri Nagara Thandayuthapani Temple. Nodes are
identifiable via Map 2 and 3 where by the LRT station and the Little India which are
concentrated with human density as these places are the main gathering points as well as
dispersion points. The most recognizable landmark of the area is still Little India, due to the
prominence of the name as well as the vibrancy that it breathes in into the area.
16. 16
The combinations of these elements have merged together as a powerful image. A
result of the mixed intensity of Little India Area, an area that is even though lack of planning
but yet ended up being a whole throughout the area. The mixed typology of buildings
around little India with various historical timeline till now, supports Lynch’s theory that the
image of this city is always radiating its energy.
Figure 9 Image of Little India, Klang.
17. 17
4.0 Conclusion
To sum it up, it can be concluded that there is a character of the place that is
uniquely Little India. The way it blends traditional shophouses with historical buildings
making create a sense of co-exist between two generations. The strong culture in terms of
intangible qualities such as the sound, texture and smell as well as strong tangible qualities
such buildings and roads are strong personalities of the site that made the streets
identifiable to be different from one another.
The culture of Little india along with its surrounding should be preserve in order to
remain its current identity. It is not recommended to add any entrances or signage to
indicates and define Little India as the current situation clearly shows a clear visual where
the Little India sits in Klang.
18. 18
5.0 References
Gehl, J. (1996). Life Between Buildings. Denmark.
Hillier, B. (1996). Space Is The Machine. United Kingdom: aaaaaaSpace Syntax.
Little India, Jalan Tengku Kelana (n.d.). Retrieved May 5th, 2016, from Tourism Selangor:
http://www.tourismselangor.my/destinations/little-india/
Lynch, K. (1960). The Image Of The City. United States of America.
Tolman, E. C. (1948). Cognitive Maps in Rats and Men.