[tamil] Melaka Chitty

The Melaka Chitty community (also known as the Hindu Peranakan Melaka) has been in Melaka, Malaysia since the reign of the Melaka Sultanate in the early 15th. century.

Years before Parameswara (the founder of Melaka in 1401) became the first sultan, Hindu traders had already come to Melaka.

Trading between the West and East had long been established before then. Due to the distance and weather conditions, traders had to make several stops along their trading route and Melaka was the best location. It was exactly the ideal choice for these traders as it was stragically located and food supplies were easily available.

As its port getting acknowledged, more and more traders including the Hindus from Corromandel Coast, Southern India thronged Melaka.

Inter-marriages between the Hindu traders and the Malays, Chinese, Javanese and Bataks were then unavoidable. Through the process of assimilation, these traders had gradually adapted themselves to a new lifestyle. Thus, the term 'Melaka Chitty' was born.

As staunch believers of the Hindu faith, the Melaka Chitty community still uphold their
religious ceremonies but with a unique blend.

In Melaka, one can easily notice this unique community in Kampung Chitty, Gajah Berang which is situated about 2.5 kilometres from the city centre. It consists of a few castes namely; Pandaram, Pillay, Neiker, Raja, Pathair, Chitty and Padaichi. They have strong resemblance to the Malays and Baba Nyonyas based on their clothing, food, spoken language (the Malay language is their mother tongue) and appearances but are inarticulate in Tamil (the Hindu language). Nevertheless, they still maintain their Hindu religion and names.

As of material important, need to assert that the Melaka Chitty community is different than the Hindu community, especially the Chettiars (the Hindu money-lenders), in many ways. They had lost all forms of communication with their relatives in India a long time ago.

Today, most of them are wage earners. They lead a simple life. Some have ventured into other occupations and stayed in other parts of Malaysia. A few of them can be found in Singapore too. During festive seasons, most of them return to Kampung Chitty where they will share their stories and experiences.

To	<tamil@tamil.net>
From	"Bala Pillai" <bala@tamil.net>
Date	Sat, 23 Jun 2001 09:38:19 +1000
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