India Street used to be the main street and the nerve center of Kuching Town. This was the place to shop if you want to buy the latest fashionable clothes, textiles and a wide range of household products. The name was given as there were a number of Indian shops found on this street.

Back in the 1970s, I remember coming here with my mother to shop for school uniforms and school supplies. As the central bus station was located nearby, this place was always crowded with shoppers and business was roaring. There was a constant flow of traffic on this street, as motorbikes, bicycles and pedestrians weaved around honking cars. I can still remember a shop by the name of "Bee Tai" which was selling trendy clothes. The clothes sourced from Thailand were a hit with the youths who wanted to look fashionable.

With the development of malls and departmental stores as Kuching grows from a small town to a city, India Street began losing its luster and popularity as a shopping destination. In addition, since India Street is located in the olden part of Kuching city there is not much attraction for people to come here.

In order to revive business here and to give India Street a new lease of business, the street was converted into a Street Pedestrian Mall. This upgrading work was completed in 2016 and vehicles are no longer allowed to enter this street.

A roof was constructed to cover the open space between the rows of shops, sheltering the shoppers from the hot sun and rain. Arcade-style stalls now occupy the central part of the street, transforming it into a street mall.

I was quite surprised to see that the vendors selling newspapers are still there.

This shop sells mainly kitchen utensils.

Costume jewelry for sale.

If you are feeling peckish, don't fret. There are some stalls selling snacks and drinks.

The Bata shop is a popular shop selling shoes.

This shop sells all types of textiles.

You can buy a wide range of clothes for the whole family from this shop.

Rings and trinkets are for sale here.

The "Songkok" is traditionally worn by Muslim men.

Hands galore, some are imitations of famous brands.

Salih Ahmad, one of the original shops owned by an Indian is still here.

Which watch is your preference?

These cute and attractive bags will surely appeal to children.

Take your pick of belts and purses.

A dentist advertising his services.

This shop sells mostly gold products but is also a pawnshop

This is the entrance of a narrow lane leading to the Indian Mosque. Most of the Indian shopkeepers here are Muslim.

This narrow lane leads to the Indian Mosque as shown below. I am very familiar with this lane as I often accompanied my late mother here as her hairdresser's shop was also located in this lane.

This is the Indian Mosque used by the Indian shopkeepers for their prayers.

I came across some murals depicting life in India Street in the good old days.

With the upgrading works, India Street has managed to some extent regain its former glory. Walking along this Street has made me rather nostalgic. I cherish the simplicity of life back then when people are in less of a hurry, are more trusting and seem to know each other. Times really fly.

This is my entry for Market Friday, an initiative started by the delightful @dswigle

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Hive Blog Posting Month

The Hive Blog Posting Month is a challenge where you post an article every day for the month of April. I have started posting daily since the middle of March and so I was very happy when I came across this challenge and I hope that it will help me to maintain my momentum.

A big thank you to the fabulous @traciyork for organizing the #hiveblopomo initiative. This is my entry for 23 April 2022.