Tekka Centre

Tekka Centre is a multi-use building complex comprising a wet market, food centre and shops, located along Bukit Timah Road, Race Course Road, Buffalo Road and Serangoon Road.

Etymology and history

The market was originally known as Kandang Kerbau (or just KK), Malay for "buffalo pens", referring to the slaughterhouses operating in the area until the 1920s, and the name still lives on in the nearby Kandang Kerbau Women's and Children's Hospital. In Hokkien, the market was known as "Tek Kia Kha", literally meaning "foot of the small bamboos", as bamboo plants once grew on the banks of the Rochor Canal. This was adapted into the popular name Tekka Pasar (笛卡巴刹), where "pasar" is Malay for "market".

The original market was built in 1915, and was located across the street between Hastings Road and Sungei Road. When it was torn down in 1982 and relocated at its present site, the new multi-use complex was named Zhujiao Centre (竹脚中心), the pinyin version of "Tek Kia". The Kandang Kerbau Police Station and the Kandang Kerbau Post Office were also found there. On the original site of the market now stands a new commercial development, the Tekka Mall, which provides a link to the old Tekka Market.

However, to locals, especially non-Chinese, the new word "Zhujiao" was both hard to read and pronounce and bore no resemblance to Tekka. Eventually, the complex was officially renamed Tekka Centre in 2000 as it better reflected the history of the place.

The case of Tekka Centre is often used to illustrate the complexities of Chinese language romanisation in Singapore.

Facilities

Today, Tekka Cente remains a landmark in Little India, where different ethnic communities congregate. There are Chinese stallholders who speak Tamil, and vice versa. Shops sell traditional Indian costumes and inexpensive casual clothes. Some of the more notable shops include those selling Taoist and Buddhist paraphernalia, hardware shops, and tailors who can alter clothes in minutes.On the ground floor is a hawker centre with stalls which sell Indian vegetarian meals, served on banana leaves or on stainless steel platters, besides Chinese vegetarian, North Indian and Malay food.

At the wet market which is on the same level, stalls sell fresh seafood, especially crabs from Sri Lanka, and vegetables. There are also many Chinese stalls selling vegetables that are specially flown in from India.

In terms of accessibility, the centre is served by the adjacent Little India MRT Station. There are also an underground car park and two taxi stands. Amenities nearby include Tekka Mall and Little India Arcade.

References

*National Heritage Board (2006), "Discover Singapore - Heritage Trails", ISBN 981-05-6433-3

External links

* [http://www.visitsingapore.com/publish/stbportal/en/home/getting_around/tours_in_singapore/walking_tours/little_india.html Uniquely Singapore website]