Chowrasta Market

Chowrasta Market (7 January 2017)


Chowrasta Market or Pasar Chowrasta (GPS: 5.41812, 100.33143) is one of the two community markets in inner George Town. The name is quite likely derived from Hindi चौक रास्ता (chauk raasta) meaning "square" or "intersection of roads." The word "Chowk" is still found in many cities in India where markets are held. It can also be written in Urdu like this: مربع سڑک

The marketplace is the usual watering hole for the local community, and it is usually positioned where major roads meet. In the case of Chowrasta Market, it is bordered by Penang Road, Chowrasta Road, Kuala Kangsar Road and Tamil Street.

Chowrasta Market is probably the most popular spot to get local titbits such as preserved nutmeg, tau33 sa3 pneah4 and other similar items. These used to be de rigueur on the shopping list of anybody, particularly ladies from other states, or their local counterparts before making a visit to their friends of other states. The stalls are still operating today, as before.

Chowrasta Market is the oldest market in George Town to still be functioning in the same spot. That area has always been a pekan, or village heart, when it was populated predominantly by various Indian ethnic groups. Originally an open air market, Chowrasta received its first proper structure when the George Town Municipal Council erected a market building here in 1890. That building is quite similar in appearance to the historic Sia Boey market building that is still standing today. The present market building was erected in the 1960s. It underwent a major facelift in 2012, which included adding a multi-storey car park above the wet market area. This rear side makeover was completed in 2015, with full restoration was completed in January 2017.

The restoration has faithfully retained the location of the various shops at the market. The section facing Penang Road is occupied by outlets selling preserves such as nutmeg and plums, as sell as dodol, belacan and medicated oils. The wet market occupies the main portion of the ground floor bordered by Tamil Street, Chowrasta Road and Kuala Kangsar Road. Outlets selling clothes occupy the first floor around the atrium which has a pair of escalators. The middle portion of the first floor is occupied by the second hand bookshops. The rear portion of the first floor has one of the levels of the multi-storey car park.

Visits to Chowrasta Market

10 November, 2018

We decided to go to Chowrasta Market this morning, because my wife was looking for a new mop. Of course, as in all our market trips, that's not the only thing she ended up buying.

Chowrasta Market was more happening today and on our past trips. Maybe part of the reason is that one section of Chowrasta Road was boarded up for re-development, so the hawker stalls are all squeezed to one side.

Chowrasta Market Narrated Walking Tour

Flower seller at Chowrasta Market (10 November 2018)


Fruit vendors manning their stall while their children play under the table below. (10 November 2018)


Chowrasta Market was more crowded today than before. (10 November 2018)


One of the many vegetable vendors at Chowrasta Market. (10 November 2018)


Fishmonger inside Chowrasta Market (10 November 2018)


Horseshoe crabs and giant conches on sale at Chowrasta Market (10 November 2018)


Edible shellfish at Chowrasta Market (10 November 2018)


A horseshoe crab for sale at Chowrasta Market (10 November 2018)


7 January, 2017

Chowrasta Market (7 January 2017)


"Labourer To Trader" Iron-Rod Sculpture. Click here for more details. (7 January 2017)


Outlets selling local titbits in front of Chowrasta Market (7 January 2017)


Fresh nutmeg being sold at Chowrasta Market (7 January 2017)


Pickled nutmeg and other pickled fruits at Chowrasta Market (7 January 2017)


Outlets selling titbits at Chowrasta Market (7 January 2017)


Escalator to the first floor of Chowrasta Market (7 January 2017)


Shops on the first floor of Chowrasta Market. This shoe shop began operating on the very day I took this shot. (7 January 2017)


The second-hand bookshops of Chowrasta Market. (7 January 2017)



Tim at the newly restored Chowrasta Market (7 January 2017)

Parking at Chowrasta market

Parking at Chowrasta Market is managed by MTG Automation using smartcard. The fee is RM1.00 per hour.

The ramp going up to the multi-storey car park at Chowrasta Market. (7 January 2017)


Smartcard parking ticket at Chowrasta Market. (7 January 2017)


The Autopay machine for parking at Chowrasta Market is near the market's second-hand bookshops. (7 January 2017)

How to go to Chowrasta Market

From the Weld Quay Ferry & Bus Terminal, take Rapid Penang Bus CAT, 10, 11, 101, 103, 104, 201, 202, 203, 204 and 206 to the bus stop in front of Chowrasta Market. You can also take the Penang Hop-On Hop-Off Tourist Bus to go there.

Chowrasta Market in the history of Penang

The area around Chowrasta Market has been a settlement for Tamils from Kadayanallur in southern India (in present-day Tamil Nadu), since the mid 19th century. In fact, the entire stretch of George Town from Market Street through Chulia Street ending at present-day Penang Road and Transfer Road was an expansive Indian settlement that dwindled in size over time, to only Little India as well as various other pockets in the city.

In the 1870s and particularly 1880s, a massive influx of Chinese immigrants replaced the Indians in places such as Campbell Street, Kimberley Street and Cintra Street. Even the originally Indian Chulia Street saw a makeover as many Cantonese and Hakka moved in.

For that reason, it was known as "Kelinga Ban San" in Hokkien, meaning "South Indian Market." To this day, there are still shops along Lebuh Tamil that are run by the Tamil community of Chowrasta Market.

The first permanent market building was erected by the Commissioners of the Municipality of George Town - precursor of the Majlis Perbandaran Pulau Pinang, MPPP - in the year 1890, at the cost of $16,471. The structure, which is single storey tall, remained unchanged until 1960. In some old photographs, you can see the front facade with the date 1920 on it. This refers to the extension on the Penang Road side which was put up in that year.

In 1961, the old market was demolished to make way for the new structure, built at a cost of $1,310,000, and is still standing to this day. When it was completed, it was one of the first buildings in Penang to be fitted with escalators, which brings wide-eyed users straight to the wet market level. There were also four service lifts. Both of these have since been dismantled.

Today, most of the market activities spill out onto Jalan Kuala Kangsar, Jalan Chowrasta, and Lebuh Tamil. A visit to the temple will show that the demographics of Penang has evolved since the 19th century, that now the majority of the sellers and patrons are not South Indians, but rather Chinese.

Chowrasta Market before the restoration

Chowrasta Market, George Town, Penang (30 August 2012)


Chowrasta Market, Penang Road (1 September 2008)
Chowrasta Market, Chowrasta Road (16 July 2008)


Penang local titbits at Chowrasta Market (16 July 2008)

Updates on Chowrasta Market

24 July, 2019
Chowrasta Market becomes the first market in Malaysia to get the Green Building Index. Solar panels (totalling 110) are installed on a canopy along Chowrasta Road at a cost of RM2.5 million. This will reduce the cost of electricity of RM3000 per month. There is also a rainwater harvesting tank to harvest the water for cleaning purposes.

24 March, 2015

Chowrasta Market, new side view, phase 1 (24 March 2015)


Renovated back portion (24 March 2015)


Renovated wet market (24 March 2015)


7 August 2012: According to MPPP President, Dato' Patahiyah, upgrading works on Chowrasta Market will start in early 2013.

31 July 2012: Stakeholders and the general public were invited to view the proposed upgrading and facelift for Chowrasta Market. The urban market survey report by ThinkCity for the Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP) was posted on the wall on the first floor of the market.

23 June 2011: The Penang Island Municipal Countil called for a focus group discussion for the Urban Market Survey and Market Plan which they commission from Badan Warisan Malaysia. The presentation was held at MPPP in Komtar. During that presentation, I urged the authorities even as they work to upgrade Chowrasta Market, to put in an effort to preserve its history.

I expressed that Chowrasta Market is not like any other market in the country. Its history is longer than that of many Malaysian towns and cities. The market site has also witnessed an urban morphology of a city neighbourhood that was predominantly Indian during the 19th century to one that is almost homogenously Chinese in the 21st century.

Street market along Kuala Kangsar Road (16 July 2008)

Street Art

The wall of Chowrasta Market facing Kuala Kangsar Road has a steel-rod sculpture entitled "Labourer to Trader" based on caricature by Tang Mun Kian.

Market along Tamil Street (16 July 2008)

Nearby Sights

Nearby Shopping

Chowrasta Market is on the Map of Penang Road, Penang

List of Markets in Penang and Markets in Malaysia

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