Indonesia has a variety of cultures and ethnicities. In the city of Medan, to be precise, in Madras Village, Jalan Zainul Arifin Medan, since hundreds of years ago, a settlement of the Indian Tamil community has helped shape the face of Medan City. This settlement is also called “Little India”.
In this area we can feel the pulse of the life of the Tamil Indian people, just like in their place of origin, Madras, South India. Starting from economic activity, religious life, social activities, and so on.
The Indian Tamil community in “Little India” mostly lived from trading. They sell clothes, Indian trinkets, food, musical instruments and sports.
Do not miss the architectural aspects. In this area we can find a number of temples of worship. One of the most magnificent is the Shri Mariamman Temple. This temple was built in 1881 and is the oldest Hindu temple in Indonesia.
The existence of Madras Village is thought to have existed since 1884, not long after the Shri Mariamman Temple was founded. The Indian Tamil community in Medan is not only in Madras Village, but also in several sub-districts in Medan City. Such as Medan Petisah, Medan Baru, Kampung Anggrung, and Medan Polonia.
The history of the arrival of the Tamil Indians in Medan is recorded in many literatures. Among other things, there are archaeological findings from the 7th century to the 14th century. They come from South India. But the greatest migration occurred in the 18th century.
“It was the beginning of the arrival of Tamil Indians in Medan to become workers, but because many felt comfortable, it motivated them to migrate to Medan to try their luck in this city,” he explained.
Now the Indian Tamil community is scattered in various areas in Medan City. Among them are the most in Madras Village. They also have various religions, Hindu, Islam, Sikh, Catholic and Protestant.
Hopefully this article can add to your insight. Get interesting information from Indonesiar.com.
