Friday, February 27, 2015

Treasure Hunt On The Streets Of Georgetown... Part III

After exploring green splendor of the western side Penang Island, we returned to Georgetown, had a quick meal at Sri Ananda Bhawan and set out to continue our Treasure Hunt...
We had about 3 hours to cover everything before setting out for the airport at Bayan Lebas and our task was cut out!


Our first halt was at Lebuh King, one of the streets within Little India...


 In the early days of Georgetown, Indian fortune tellers used green parakeets to predict a person's fortune. This caricature designed by cartoonist Tang Mun Kian, the parakeet flies away as soon as it is released, which signified that the person's fortune has petered...



This sculpture, again on Lebuh King, shows a seller of bread (Roti Benggali), with a customer. The seller attempts to scrape the bread crust of the bread, but his knife accidentally tears the customer's sarong...
The website of a bakery in Georgetown tells about the origins of the bread's name: "Roti Benggali actually derives its name from "Panggali" which means "Shareholders". A group of shareholders started the business together and named the bread Roti Panggali or bread shareholders in 1932. Local residents mispronounced the word "Paggali" and referred to the bread as "Roti Benggali" as we know it today. Roti Benggali is mostly sold by Indians and Indian Muslims only. As a result, they give the nickname " Mamak Roti". It could also be classified as a type of roti tawar."


The Sri Mahamariamman Temple, Penang's oldest Hindu temple since 1801 was sadly closed for renovation...


Located on Lebuh Queen, the temple has a distinct gopouram, typical of Tamil temples...


Back in the blistering heat...



 Masjid Kapitan Keling, Georgetown's biggest mosque  was built in the 1800s...
Located at the corner of Lebuh Buckingham and Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling (Pitt Street), the mosque was founded by Cauder Mohuddeen Merican, who was the leader of the Chulias - Chulia was the name given to Tamils, or the people from the land of the Cholas... 


Cauder was also referred to as "Kapitan Kling" - Keling is a Malay term for Indians (now considered derogatory) and Kapitan meant captain or leader...


This sculpture on Lebuh Armenian depicts the Grand Float Procession held in 1926 to celebrate the birthday of the much revered Tua Pek Kong. Tua Pek Kong (or grand uncle), or Zhang Li, which was his real name, was a Chinese Hakka explorer who arrived here in Penang 40 years before Francis Light in 1746. He was headed for Sumatra when his boat was struck by wind and he accidentally landed in Penang. Today Tua Pek Kong is worshipped by Chinese throughout Malaysia... 


1926 was the Year of the Tiger, and effigies of the tiger was carried through the streets of Georgetown. Observing the procession is a British tourist...


"Reaching Up", another masterpiece by Ernest Zacharevic, on Lebuh Cannon, depicts a little boy reaching for a hole in the wall...




Elvis meets Charlie Chaplin on Gat Lebuh Aceh...


The Haj pilgrimage sculpture located at the junction of Lebuh Aceh Ghaut and Lebuh Victoria depicts pilgrims preparing for their pilgrimage to Mecca. Lebuh Aceh was where Muslim travel agencies were located to sell tickets from the trip. The street had quite a festive atmosphere during the Haj season and used used to be bustling with activity as stalls sprung up selling food, clothing and other stuff that would be required by the pilgrims, much like Kampong Glam in Singapore... 


The cat and the minion...


“Sister and brother playing basketball” mural located at Gat Lebuh Chulia...



Another minion...


Again on Lebuh Chulia, this charming mural shows brother and sister on a swing. This mural took me back to the childhood I enjoyed in Zambia, with my little sister...



The "Property" sculpture, on Lebuh Victoria, celebrates the reclamation activities of the 1800s and the extension of the shoreline from Lebuh Beach to Weld Quay, creating additional space for construction of warehouses, stores and buildings...


Another kongsi...


An ornamental grill in the wall of the kongsi...


Back to the Yeoh sculpture that we had seen yesterday on Lebuh Chulia...



"The Main Street" sculpture celebrates the transition of Lebuh Chulia from the time it was home to the South Indian community, to its avatar now as a backpacker haven...


The Ting Ting Thong sculpture located along Seck Chuan Lane shows an itinerant hawker peddling rock candy. These candies appealed to children who used to rush in to buy the delights whenever they  would hear the rock candyman coming. "Ting ting thong" represents the sound made by the chisel breaking the rock candy...


Located at Lorong Chulia, this sculpture depicts a hapless skinny paddler propelling a trishaw seating two obese and demanding tourists who want him to take them to many places around town...



Catching a few winks...


Art on a home...


A nyonya lodge...



Man paddling a boat on Lebuh Klang...




 These are five standalone sculptures on Stewart Lane, placed against columns that shelter the five-foot way. From left to right, they depict an Indian dhoby with laundry basket, a Chinese amah or housemaid, a young jogger, a coolie and an English planter, who remarked, "Obviously this is less than five feet"...



These five sculptures celebrate the design of townhouses and shophouses built between the 1800s and the 1900s, incorporating the 5-feet wide covered walkway...


The creation of five-foot wide walkways is attributed to Sir Stamford Raffles, who is said to have been drenched by a torrential downpour while in Batavia (Jakarta). He then insisted that sheltered walkways should be made a part of all new urban structures, to protect pedestrians from rain. This feature was included in the Jackson Plan of 1822, which defined Singapore's layout...





The ballerina...



Interesting artwork installation around an electricity meter...




The Kung Fu Girl...







The "Cheating Husband" sculpture on Love Lane provides a humorous description of this street, which is widely believed to be where rich Chinese merchants kept their mistresses...
The sculpture shows one such cheating husband escaping from a window...


The "Budget Hotels" sculpture on a wall along Love Lane, recognises the many budget hotels that have come up in the area...


And it's getting late...


We've gotta rush to the airport now...

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