Little India is a small, intense pocket of streets in the old town centred on Market Street, Queen Street and Lebuh Chulia. South Indian Tamils began settling here in large numbers from the early 1800s as the British recruited labour for the Penang colony, and the area's character has barely changed: shophouses painted in bright colours, garlands of jasmine and marigold strung outside shops, the smell of incense, ghee, masala and frying dosa, Bollywood and Tamil music spilling from speakers.
The neighbourhood is a place to eat and shop more than to sightsee. The Sri Mahamariamman Temple anchors one end, the Kapitan Keling Mosque sits on its western edge, and dozens of small restaurants and food stalls serve the best South Indian food in Malaysia. The classic order is banana leaf rice — a serving of rice on a fresh banana leaf with several curries and side dishes — at Sri Ananda Bahwan or Restoran Kapitan; thosai and idli at any of the small breakfast spots; or the famous Penang-style nasi kandar at Line Clear (a 24-hour alley restaurant on Penang Road), which is technically Indian-Muslim Mamak rather than Hindu Tamil but qualifies as Little India eating.
Diwali (October-November) is the big festival of the year. Thaipusam in January-February is the more spectacular one.