In Bangkok: A passage to India

One of my favorite parts ofBangkok is its Indianneighborhood, known as"Little India." This hidden jewelin Bangkok's crown is full ofgorgeous food, interestingsights, and a real impression ofwhat it's like to walk down anIndian street.

Bangkok's Indian communityfirst settled in the Phahurat areasoon after King Rama I orderedits construction in 1898. Thearea has expanded over theyears, and now merges into thesouthwestern edge of Chinatown.

Posters of Indian goddesses and Bollywoodactors dot Little India in Bangkok

The soi, or lane, known as"Little India" runs parallel toPhahurat Road. On entering the lane,you'll find food stalls selling hot snackswhile posters of Hindu gods sit alongsidea child's bicycle. The sights and soundsof India are everywhere, as locals goabout their daily business. I arrive atlunchtime, and that only means one thing:time for lunch! There's one place I go toeat every time I visit Little India: PunjabSweets.

A view of Phahurat Road

An Indian lady preparing snacks inBangkok's Little India.

This fantastic restaurant is a real treat.TV programs stop every 3 minutes for advertising:Fair and Lovely face cream, IndianOil, Bharti Life Insurance, BelmonteAcademy of Style, and Reliance MobileTelephones (only 999 Rupees). There area couple of dishes I like to order when Igo there: chhole batore (a plate of chickpeacurry, potato curry and lime pickle,served with puffed-up fried Indian bread),and samosa chana (chickpea curry with 2crunchy, hot samosas). I'm taken rightback to my memories of street-side eatingin Delhi, and I wash these delectabletreats down with a glass of hot, sweetmasala chai. This is way better than anyexpensive Indian restaurant food; plus,it's totally authentic, and so easy on thepocket as well: my fantastic lunch set meback a mere 70 Baht. Icy-cold drinkingwater (in a jug on your table, safe todrink) is free of charge, too, so you canreally cool down from the heat of thestreet.

I'm tempted to stay even longer at PunjabSweets, as the sweets themselves havecaught my eye. They're quite beautiful.The gulab jamun (sweet fried dough ballsin rosewater syrup) nestle under ediblesilver leaf; the ras malai (milk curds flavoredwith cardamom and saffron) alsograb my attention. But alas, every time Icome here l enjoy my chhole batore andsamosas far too much to have room forany of these delicacies. Punjab Sweetsalso stocks an extensive range of spicesand cooking ingredients, if you want totry your hand at making a real curry.Out into the street I go. It's time to soakup the spectacle of this part of town. Wanderingthrough the lane, there are so manythings to look at. It's interesting to seehow Indian and Thai cultureblend a little bit here. Indian foodstalls serve Thai curries to Indianresidents. Shop doors feature differentwritten languages, for theunderstanding of all.

A man makes these chewysnacks which turn your mouth,and your saliva, bright red. Theexperience will set you backabout 5 Baht, and it's like nothingelse. Try one!A beautiful gurdwara, or Sikhtemple, sits a little way down thesoi. This is said to be the largestgurdwara outside India, and isbuilt of opulent white marble.Remember to remove yourshoes and cover your head whenyou go any higher than theground floor; the customary yellowheadscarves are provided forthis.

Little India also holds some exotictreasures for fans of browsing and shopping.Wandering into one establishment,I am soon the proud owner of 3 CDs ofbeautiful Indian music (80 Baht each) anda bottle of heady rose perfume oil fromMumbai (300 Baht).Walking further, I also pick up a redbeaded necklace for 100 Baht, someBurmese cooking ingredients, some naturalNeem soap, a rolling pin (50 Baht),some curry pastes, and a box of saffron(70 Baht).So that gives you an idea of what thisarea of Bangkok is like. I hope you willgive it a try.

Getting thereIn fact, it's possible to approach the Indiandistrict from the westernmost end ofChinatown's chaotic Sampeng Lane; fromthere, turn left onto Chakraphet Road,cross the footbridge, and go left along thepavement. A few minutes along on yourright is the entrance to Little India.

[ BY LIZ CLAYTON ]