Singapore's IHC to host exhibitions on Indian culture

Singapore: Singapore's Indian Heritage Centre (IHC) is working with India to collaborate and host exhibitions on trade and culture of early Indian settlers when the USD 9.69-million centre opens early next year.

"We are in dialogue with the Indian government on such collaborations," Dr Gauri Krishnan, Centre Director at IHC, said. IHC is working on having a wide range of showcase pieces, reflecting Indian history in the South East Asian region.

The IHC has received heirlooms, arts and crafts and memorabilia from South East Asia, some of which dates back to early 1900th century. Dr Krishnan said the IHC has collected more than 250 artifacts from over 40 community lenders and donors from Singapore and overseas.

The IHC today showed among its collections two necklaces that came from Nattukottai Nagarattar Chettiars who were among early Indian migrants to the South East Asia with business establishments in Vietnam, Myanmar, Malaysia and Singapore.

The rubies, emeralds, diamonds and gold necklaces, considered deity jewelleries, are being loaned to IHC by the Saigon Chettiars' Temple Trust and came from Thendayuthapani Temple which was established 200 years ago in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City).

Some of these artifacts were saved by the Chettiar community in 1975 when South Vietnam fell under the communist regime, said Trustee Ashwin Muthiah, who is also chairman of the Southern Petrochemical Industries Corp in south India.

Other artifacts include wartime publications and pictures of Indian National Army members including Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose which were donated to the IHC by former Singapore President S R Nathan.