Little India!

[redstone]

Not sure.But it sells everything from electroincs to jewellery to clothes, food, toys to even cars.

[babystan03]

Originally Posted by redstone

Not sure.But it sells everything from electroincs to jewellery to clothes, food, toys to even cars.

Cars?? Which brand??

[redstone]

News reported it a few months ago.

Would be at the new Mustafa building, I think.


Mustafa is the one-stop place to get everything you need, 24/7.

[babystan03]

Originally Posted by redstone

News reported it a few months ago.

Would be at the new Mustafa building, I think.


Mustafa is the one-stop place to get everything you need, 24/7.

Maybe they should expand the mall further.......heard it's a little cramp.....

[redstone]

No, not a little cramed.
Very crammed!

[babystan03]

Originally Posted by redstone

No, not a little cramed.
Very crammed!

Haha.....that means they should expand.......

[redstone]

It had expanded from Serangoon Plaza at Mustafa Centre, now it has its onw new building.

The only thing I don't like about it is that it is very crammed.

[RafflesCity]

Bitter spat breaks out over Little India sweets

18 Oct 2004

Restaurant complains about stall importing snacks with similar name; AVA finds it flouting labelling laws

By K.C. Vijayan

AN OLD player in the selling of Indian sweets is upset with an upstart which set up shop next door to sell snacks with a similar name - so it has called in the authorities.

Ananda Bhavan Restaurant, a big name in Little India with an 80-year history, feared standards would drop and its business turn sour with the entry of a stall selling the Adyar Ananda Bhavan snacks and sweets at Syed Alwee Road, off Serangoon Road.

But the latter is not exactly a small fry, and is a franchise of a chain from Madras that's more than 20 years old and has over 20 branches on the sub-continent.

Said Ananda Bhavan boss M.K. Ramanchandra, who is also honorary secretary of the Little India Restaurateurs' Association here: 'I am less concerned about the brand name but more about how the sweets are brought in, how they are preserved and how they are packed.

'These milk-based items have a limited shelf life and if not properly handled, can convey a wrong image leading to a decline in sales industry-wide.'

The sweets and snacks - called mittai in Tamil - are popular especially during the current Deepavali season and are standard items on the menu of virtually all Indian households for visitors.

The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority's (AVA) Food Control Section stepped in to investigate Ananda Bhavan's grouse, and found the importer of Adyar Ananda Bhavan had flouted labelling requirements and slapped it with a summons.

The AVA checked the stall last Tuesday and found the products pre-packed but were without proper labels to indicate particulars such as the ingredients, the expiry date and the weight as required by law.

The importer was ordered to take steps to comply and had done so, said an AVA spokesman.

Contacted yesterday, stall owner P. Selvam, 34, said he was new to the business and 'did not know of the labelling requirement'. He added that he had gone to consult the AVA last Thursday to clear the labels for the products.

Mr Selvam, a retrenched IT specialist, said he was limiting this new business to the Deepavali season only, from Oct 11 to Nov 12, and did not see his products as a threat to anybody.

Referring to the Ananda Bhavan Restaurant, he said: 'They are big and we are small and we were hoping they would help us as fellow travellers along the way.'

The AVA will conduct follow-up checks, said Food Control Section head Charlie Tan.

[babystan03]

Oct 19, 2004
Want to know what's hip in India? Read on...
Indian magazine scene has exploded here, with all sorts of news from that country
By M Nirmala

A WAVE of Indian publications on everything from politics and the movie world to fashion, health and religion has hit Singapore in a big way, driven in part by the growing expatriate community.

Interest among Indian Singaporeans in the hottest Bollywood stars, the latest political twists in India, fashion trends and religious rites has also fed the growth of imported books and magazines over the past two to three years.

Such has been the demand that more shops have sprung up to sell these magazines and books.

Bookshops have expanded their range, and even stores which count vegetables, CDs and provisions as their staples have now set aside space for magazines.

Industry insiders said the number of shops selling such publications has shot up from just five some five years ago to about 20 now. And the number of magazine titles has trebled from about 10 in the same period.

Some stores rent space to magazine sellers at $500 a month. Yet operators of such makeshift stalls still pull in a profit of 30 to 40 per cent, as they pay couriers to bring in the publications - in rupees.

Popular magazines include Cine Blitz and Star Dust which focus on Bollywood goings-on; Kumutham Health and Health Doctor; general magazines such as Ananda Vikatan and Mangayar Malar; and even Ambulimama, which is for children.

Magazine seller Abdul Salam, 69, who has been operating in Serangoon Road for 38 years, said the wider range of publications and growth in demand has been evident for some time.

Where only Tamil publications were available before, there are now magazines and newspapers in Malayalam, Telugu and Bengali.

'Every week, Telugu workers come and buy newspapers. Indian expatriates buy India Today and Singapore women often ask for magazines on religion,' he says.

Family entertainment magazine Kunkumam, for instance, is advertised on cable channel Sun TV and covers movies, cookery and politics.

Indian construction worker M. Vaithialingam, 31, buys the Tamil version of India Today to keep up with developments at home.

Not all sellers get publications from registered distributors such as Worldwide Subscription & Distribution Services or Cholan Trading Enterprise. Some find it more cost-effective to rely on travellers who arrive with suitcases filled with newspapers and books.

Others bring them in and clear Customs daily.

A Media Development Authority (MDA) spokesman said importers require an import permit. But there is no requirement for a separate licence to sell publications. 'Those who receive them through other sources should ensure the publications are acceptable for general circulation. They can consult MDA when in doubt.'

The wider readership of magazines is evident, said a National Library Board spokesman.

In 1995, its branches carried 21 Tamil magazine titles. Last year, there were 198.

Businessmen in Little India welcome the availability of current affairs magazines such as India Today, but are critical of titles whose content is culturally and politically alien to Singaporeans.

Businessman S.R. Gopal frowns on how some Singaporeans lap up the latest news on movie stars, but acknowledges 'a thirst for information' which publications here do not provide.

Agreeing, Tamil Language and Cultural Society president M. Harikrishnan asked: 'Why can't local publications cater to the needs of the Indians here?'

Institute of Policy Studies deputy director and media specialist Arun Mahizhnan sees the trend as positive. He said: 'We now have many more choices. The choice of magazines - both savoury and unsavoury - is up to the customer. If we choose well we can benefit greatly.'

Copyright © 2004 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved.

[nova]

Originally Posted by redstone

No, not a little cramed.
Very crammed!

Yeah absolutely! I heard they got fined a few years ago for blocking a fire exit with boxes for storage.. Even though they gor expanded, it's still very cramped. I can't stand those narrow aisles!

But yes, electronics is cheaper over there; I've been there many times. I believe they are one of the only ones here to import lots of Indian foodstuffs, so Indians from all over Singapore go there to stock up.

[drwho]

[RafflesCity]

cool pics drwho!

Little India is another colourful area and I still need to go back and take more pics

[RafflesCity]

Arts@Tekka: Spectacular dances and lights

22 Oct 2004

By SANGEETHA MADHAVAN

IN a culture intricately linked to mythology, it is understandable that the genesis of one of its main festivals lies in multiple myths. The Hindu festival of lights Deepavali can be attributed to not one but three epic stories that celebrate good over evil.

Local Indian arts group Bhaskar's Arts Academy will stage one of them employing the dance theatre form Kathakali during the Arts@Tekka festival next weekend. This one recounts Lord Krishna vanquishing the demon Narakasura in a long struggle; his victory is celebrated with the lighting of lamps.

The Academy will stage the story for three days in a bid to make it more accessible, not only in Malayalam, the language of the southern state of Kerala from which Kathakali (or 'story-play') originates, but also in Tamil and Malay. While full-length productions in India go overnight, this production will be only an hour and a half long.

Still it promises to be awe-inspiring. When K P Bhaskar, founder of the Academy, says that 'Kathakali is very colourful', he is understating the operatic scale: elaborate mask-like make-up made from vegetable and mineral dyes that takes hours to put on, grand costumes, a four-member live orchestra with singers, and roles recognisable from their characteristic make-up (such as black for villain) enacting stories from the scriptures.



When they are in Singapore, the artistes flown in from Kerala will have a chance to do some shopping to take back home - at the Chinese opera supplies shop on River Valley Road. 'Instead of the smelly ground sulphur traditionally used to get the colour yellow, they can buy perfumed alternatives from China,' says Mr Bhaskar.

To explain this complex dance form, workshops will demystify the hand gestures (mudras) that form the basis of the Kathakali mime and also an important aspect of the popular South Indian classical dance form, Bharatanatyam.

A precise melding of rhythm, expression and drama, Bharatanatyam conforms to strict principles set down in the ancient treatise on stagecraft, the Natyashastra, and features the dancer as worshipper seeking a higher state of spiritual consciousness. Owing to its antecedents as a temple dance, Bharatanatyam was performed by women, while Kathakali was traditionally performed by men, though this has changed in recent times.

What hasn't changed is the annual ritual celebration of good over evil and it is going to happen at Tekka in spectacular style.

Arts@Tekka is from Oct 28 to Oct 30, 5pm to 8.30pm, at Kerbau Road and Belilios Lane. This article is the first of a three-part series on Indian arts brought to you by The National Arts Council and The Business Times.

[RafflesCity]

Arts fest rides down Little India

29 Oct 04

FOR the first time, Little India has its own arts festival.


POP ART: Artist Ana Prvacki invites Mr Khaw to make popcorn for visitors to a PKW exhibition.

Called Arts@Tekka, the three-day event, which was launched yesterday by Mr Khaw Boon Wan, Minister for Health and MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC, brings together about 70 cross-cultural artists in 18 shows.

It comprises 12 workshops, two exhibitions and a trishaw ride down the Arts Belt Trail for curious visitors.

The free festival, which ends tomorrow, is on from 5 to 8.30pm at Kerbau Road and Belilios Lane.

It is presented by six resident arts groups in the Tekka area - Spell#7, Plastique Kinetic Worms (PKW), Sri Warisan Som Said Performing Arts, Dramaplus Arts, Wild Rice and Bhaskar's Arts Academy - and co-organised by the National Arts Council and the Central Singapore Community Development Council.

Said Mr Khaw, who draped a garland of flowers over a trishaw as part of the ceremony yesterday: 'Little India has always been a bustling place.

'When the arts groups decided to be based here, I told them to leverage on their creativity to make this place more vibrant so that it will not only be an Indian place.

'This event is one of their efforts and I'm very happy.'

In the Stop, Look & Go! ride, visitors can sit on one of 10 trishaws decorated by artists from PKW.

These will take them on a tour of the six arts groups situated along Kerbau Road and other interesting sites along Serangoon Road, Belilios Road and Belilios Lane.

Other highlights include Malay and Indian cultural shows and an arts bazaar featuring activities such as metal smithing and dough figurine painting.

Ms Kaylene Tan, artistic director of Spell#7, said: 'The aim of Arts@Tekka is to gather members of the community together for a short period of time and engage them in something that is creative, fun and interactive.'

The organisers hope to make this an annual event, depending on the public's response.

[RafflesCity]

Little India in November gets decorated and ready for Deepavali, the Festival of Lights.

Street bazaars are open selling all kinds of goodies.

[drwho]

raffie!,thnxs thats beautiful pictures!

[RafflesCity]

yes drwho! Its been quite interesting for me to walk about Little India too.

Unfortunately it started to rain when I took those pics, hence I had to stop. But I am going back again to continue as the place is quite big and colourful!

[babystan03]

The New Paper - 11 Nov 2004

Mustafa gives up hotel

... To concentrate on what it does best

By Desmond Ng
desmondn@sph.com.sg

MUSTAFA is expanding again.

The retail giant of Little India is replacing the hotel rooms in its main building with store shelves, renovating its older outlet on Serangoon Road and even planning a bridge to link the two.

It will then have a total 280,000 sqft of retail space - about the size of three football fields.

But why have two stores at all, next to each other, under the same management, and selling more less the same goods? Isn't it wasteful duplication?

The man behind these plans, Mr Mustaq Ahmad, the managing director of Mohamed Mustafa & Samsuddin, doesn't think so.

Said the 53-year-old: 'Yes, we may be offering the same type of goods at both locations but we need to cater to the growing number of customers.

'If a customer goes to one outlet and sees that it's too crowded, at least he can move on to the next outlet.'

He estimated that Mustafa Centre, on Syed Alwi Road, attracts about 8,000 to 10,000 customers a day.

And the older outlet, in Serangoon Plaza, got about 3,000 customers a day before it was closed for renovation in July.

A marketing professor we spoke to explained that while expanding two stores side by side, instead of going further afield, may seem strange, it does have its advantages. (See report below.)

For both stores, three quarters of the goods offered will be the same, but only Mustafa Centre has a frozen and fresh food section.

Mr Mustaq said they are seeking permission from the authorities to link the stores with a connecting bridge.

But for now, he has his hands full with trying to convert the little-known Mustafa Hotel at Mustafa Centre into retail space.

About 50,000 sqft of additional retail space will be freed up when the 120-room hotel is closed next week.

Mustafa Hotel, which has been around for eight years, takes up two floors in the building, which has four levels of shopping now. This will be increased to six by April next year.

'This will be better utilisation of space. We're not in the hotel business. It's better to concentrate on our core business, which is retail,' Mr Mustaq said.

When the company built Mustafa Centre 10 years ago, it had to keep the third and fourth floors for residential use due to URA regulations, said Mr Mustaq.

So, they decided on the hotel idea and targeted budget tourists with $60 a night room rates.

The average occupancy was 60 to 70 per cent, said Mr Mustaq.

He later applied to URA for a change from residential to commercial use and received approval six months ago.

He expects to spend about $8 million on the refurbishment, which will begin this month.

The store will have 200,000 sqft of space by April.

And the outlet in Serangoon Plaza, which they vacated in July for the whole building to be renovated, will have 80,000 sqft when they move back in January.

They have been renting the place for 18 years and had only 70,000 sqft there before.

For now, about half of their customers are locals, and the other half, tourists.

While Mr Mustaq said he has no plans to expand overseas or to other areas of Singapore, he's open to business ideas.

But for shoppers like Mr Deen R, it doesn't matter if there are two or more Mustafa outlets in Little India.

Said the 33-year-old tourist from India: 'After all, Mustafa Centre itself is so big. After walking around that whole complex, I'm already so tired. I don't think I'll have the energy to visit another outlet, even if it's that near.'

It makes perfect business sense

THERE is more flexibility in having two outlets side by side. It makes perfect business sense, said NUS Business School's Assistant Professor May Lwin.

If the company wants to renovate one of the stores, it can just close that one for a few months and still have an outlet and a presence in the locality, she said.

And while there isn't much to differentiate between the two outlets now, the company has the flexibility to make each of them more specialised later on.

For instance, one can focus on electronics and the other on household goods.

Added Dr Lwin: 'This expansion may be a way to beat off competition too, to prevent someone else from duplicating what they offer.

'It's a kind of a leadership strategy, to continue consolidating their market and get a larger share of the target market too.'

Copyright © 2004 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. All rights reserved.

[redstone]

They moved out of Serangoon Plaza?

[babystan03]

Time is GMT + 8 hours
Posted: 11 November 2004 2026 hrs

Crowds throng Little India for last-minute Deepavali shopping
By Asha Popatlal, Channel NewsAsia

SINGAPORE: Hundreds of people thronged Little India for last-minute shopping on the eve of Deepavali.

But things were a little calmer on Deepavali Day as many headed to the temple from as early as 7am to offer their prayers.

Festive lights, stalls, henna painting.....Little India's streets may have been ready for the crowds for a month now.

But there's nothing like the last 24 hours before the main occasion to really soak in the atmosphere.

Many took the opportunity to get the best bargains and the freshest goods.

Deepavali morning was a different atmosphere, though.

Many Hindus got up as early as 5 o'clock in the morning for their oil bath and to put on new clothes before visiting the temple.

The trip to the temple is an all-important part of Deepavali.

The temple priest said far more people showed up for temple prayers, in contrast to stallholders' complaints that there was a 20 to 30 percent drop in shopping business this year. - CNA

Copyright © 2004 MCN International Pte Ltd