Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur
Brickfields is the district south of central Kuala Lumpur now branded as Malaysia's official Little India. It takes its name from brick and tile kilns that Chinese towkays, including Yap Kwan Seng, later the last Kapitan Cina of Kuala Lumpur, opened on its clay-rich land after an 1881 fire and flood forced British Resident Frank Swettenham to mandate brick construction. From 1886, the new railway line and depot drew Tamil and Ceylonese labourers who founded institutions such as Sri Kandaswamy Kovil, planned from December 1890 and inaugurated in 1902, and the Buddhist Maha Vihara around 1894. On 28 October 2010, PM Najib Razak and Indian PM Manmohan Singh jointly launched a RM35 million streetscape upgrade that added the India-gifted Torana Gate on Jalan Tun Sambanthan. Those landmarks, neglected for over a decade, were cleaned by DBKL in September 2024, and by February 2026 the city council was weighing fines of up to RM50,000 over unauthorised banners strung across them ahead of Visit Malaysia 2026.
Brickfields
1880s to present (from the district's brick and tile kilns)
Kuala Lumpur's Little India / Little India, Brickfields
announced 2009, officially launched 28 October 2010; used alongside, not instead of, the name Brickfields
1881
A fire followed by a flood destroys much of Kuala Lumpur's timber and attap buildings. British Resident Frank Swettenham orders that new buildings be constructed of brick and tile, and Chinese towkays, including Yap Kwan Seng, later the last Kapitan Cina of Kuala Lumpur, open kilns on the clay-rich land southwest of the town, giving the district its name.
1880s
At least fifteen brick kilns are operating in Brickfields by the mid-1880s, supplying the reconstruction of Kuala Lumpur and fixing the district's identity around its brick industry.
1886
Kuala Lumpur's first railway line, to Klang, opens on 22 September with a wooden "Resident Station", and a depot is built at Brickfields. The colonial administration recruits Tamil and Ceylonese labourers to build and run the line, housing many in government quarters around the depot and founding Brickfields' Indian community.
24 December 1890
About fifty leaders of the Ceylon Saivite Tamil community meet at the Scott Road home of V. Sinnappah, Acting Traffic Inspector for the Selangor Government Railway, and resolve to build a temple, the first step toward Sri Kandaswamy Kovil.
1894
The Buddhist Maha Vihara is founded by Brickfields' Sinhalese (Ceylonese) community through the Sasana Abhiwurdhi Wardhana Society, formally registered in 1895 as the first registered Buddhist organisation in the Klang Valley; its Wesak procession later grows into the country's oldest and largest.
1902
Sri Kandaswamy Kovil is inaugurated on land the community bought on Scott Road, with the installation of the Vel by Sri Murugaswamy, becoming Brickfields' principal Hindu temple.
1915
Malayan Railways builds the "100 Quarters" (Hundred Quarters), three rows of terrace housing along Jalan Chan Ah Tong, Lorong Chan Ah Tong and Jalan Rozario, for its junior railway staff.
2001
KL Sentral opens on the site of the former railway depot, turning Brickfields into Kuala Lumpur's main rail interchange.
28 October 2010
Malaysian PM Najib Razak and Indian PM Manmohan Singh officially launch the RM35 million Little India streetscape upgrade along Jalan Tun Sambanthan, which adds the Torana Gate (a gift from India), the Elephant Fountain and Little India Dancer sculptures; Najib had announced Brickfields' designation as the country's official Little India the previous year.
2014-2015
Developer MRCB, also behind the neighbouring KL Sentral, demolishes the 99-year-old "100 Quarters" on Jalan Rozario, citing years of vacancy and vandalism, and redevelops the 1.4-hectare site as the Sentral Suites apartment towers.
September 2024
DBKL cleans the Little India landmarks, including the Torana Gate and Elephant Fountain, after a StarMetro report ("Treasures turned eyesore", 9 September 2024) exposes over a decade of neglect and vandalism; local business associations subsequently commit to their upkeep.
February 2026
DBKL confronts unauthorised commercial banners strung across the Torana Gate and Little India's decorative lamp posts along Jalan Tun Sambanthan, and the Kuala Lumpur mayor signals a possible fine increase from RM2,000 to as much as RM50,000 to deter repeat offences ahead of Visit Malaysia 2026.
Torana Gate
A Pallava-style arch presented as a diplomatic gift from India, erected in 2010 as the ceremonial entrance to Little India on Jalan Tun Sambanthan; by early 2026 it had become a flashpoint after nearby traders strung unauthorised advertising banners across it, prompting DBKL enforcement action.
Sri Kandaswamy Kovil
Brickfields' principal Hindu temple traces to a December 1890 meeting of Ceylon Saivite Tamil railway workers at Scott Road, and was inaugurated in 1902 with the installation of the Vel by Sri Murugaswamy; it remains linked to the Selangor Ceylon Tamil community that founded it.
Buddhist Maha Vihara
Founded around 1894 by Brickfields' Sinhalese (Ceylonese) community through the Sasana Abhiwurdhi Wardhana Society, formally registered in 1895 as the first registered Buddhist organisation in the Klang Valley; it now runs the country's oldest and largest Wesak procession.
Little India streetscape sculptures
The Elephant Fountain, Little India Dancer statues and Pallava-style columns were commissioned as part of the RM35 million 2010 upgrade; left to decay through the 2010s and occupied by vagrants, they were cleaned by DBKL only in September 2024 after press criticism.
Site of the former "100 Quarters" railway housing
Malayan Railways built this terrace housing for junior depot staff on Jalan Rozario in 1915; left vacant and vandalised, it was demolished by developer MRCB around 2014-2015 and replaced with the Sentral Suites apartment towers, erasing one of the last physical traces of Brickfields' original railway settlement.
The district takes its name from the brick and tile kilns set up on its clay-rich land after an 1881 fire and flood destroyed Kuala Lumpur's timber buildings, when British Resident Frank Swettenham ordered brick-and-tile construction. Chinese towkays, including Yap Kwan Seng, later the last Kapitan Cina of Kuala Lumpur, were among those who opened kilns there, and at least fifteen were operating by the mid-1880s.
Brickfields' designation as Malaysia's official Little India was announced by Prime Minister Najib Razak in 2009, and the area's RM35 million streetscape upgrade, including the Torana Gate and Elephant Fountain, was formally launched on 28 October 2010 with Indian PM Manmohan Singh. The neighbourhood's Indian character, however, dates back to the 1886 railway era.
From 1886, when Kuala Lumpur's first railway line and its Brickfields depot opened, the colonial administration recruited Tamil and Ceylonese labourers to build and run the line and housed many in government quarters nearby. Their community founded institutions such as Sri Kandaswamy Kovil, planned from December 1890, and the Buddhist Maha Vihara around 1894.
Ceylon Saivite Tamil railway workers first met to plan the temple on 24 December 1890, and it was inaugurated in 1902 with the installation of the Vel by Sri Murugaswamy. It remains Brickfields' principal Hindu temple, more than 120 years after its founding.
The "100 Quarters", terrace housing built in 1915 on Jalan Rozario for Malayan Railways' junior staff, stood for about 99 years before being demolished by developer MRCB around 2014-2015 after falling vacant and vandalised. The 1.4-hectare site was redeveloped into the Sentral Suites apartment towers.
A StarMetro report published on 9 September 2024, titled "Treasures turned eyesore", exposed how the Torana Gate, Elephant Fountain and dancer sculptures installed in 2010 had gone without maintenance for over a decade, becoming vandalised and a hangout for loiterers. DBKL cleaned the landmarks within days, and local business associations later agreed to help maintain them.
Yes. The Pallava-style Torana Gate was presented as a diplomatic gift from India and installed in 2010 as part of the official Little India launch. In February 2026 it drew renewed attention after businesses covered it with unauthorised advertising banners, prompting DBKL to consider raising fines to as much as RM50,000.
Sources
Temple History, Sri Kandaswamy Kovil (official)
Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur - Wikipedia
Najib and Manmohan launch Little India (The Star, 28 Oct 2010)
DBKL cleans neglected Brickfields landmarks (The Star, 20 Sept 2024)
Little India's landmarks buried in banners (The Star, 20 Feb 2026)
Brickfields residents, traders welcome 100 Quarters demolition (The Edge Malaysia)
