'Little India' district in Bahrain has moved closer to becoming a reality as discussions are underway to rejuvenate the area around a Hindu temple in Manama to acknowledge the strong relations the country has with its Asian expatriate community.
The project was announced by the then Culture Ministry in August as part of Bahrain's tourism strategy for the next three years and will cover an area around Bab Al Bahrain and the Hindu temple.
"We are aiming to do a bit of work on the alleyways, such as having a street with shops serving Indian food, and a celebration of the Indian festival of colours and overall making it focus on India in all aspects," said Heba Abdul Aziz, tourism affairs adviser and project head was quoted by the Gulf Daily News.
"Discussions are now underway on how to make the 'place look more like India', she said.
"This is a gesture to acknowledge the strong relations Bahrain has with its Asian expatriate community, which has always been part of the history, trade and the social fabric of the GCC," she said.
The Little India project is a way to artificially package the Indian experience in Bahrain and make it a tourist attraction.
Discussions are now taking place with the Indian business community, whose members could potentially spearhead the project.
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states are Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
"We need to package the concept and explain how the area is to be rejuvenated with Indianised things like jewelry shops and tea, coffee shops and souvenirs," she said.
