Durban is home to the largest Indian population outside India. Glimpses of India are visible in the sights, smells and sounds of the city; often referred to by South Africans as ‘Little India’.
The Grey Street Mosque in Durban
A visit to Durban’s Indian district is a must for any visitor to the City. The Indian population have largely kept their cultural identity and contribute to the special multicultural atmosphere of the city.
The Indian District, also known as the Indian Quarter, is to the eastern side of the city center. The district is the home of the Juma Musjid Mosque (in Grey Street), reputed to be the largest in the Southern Hemisphere. It is an impressive sight, from its ornate minarets to the marble.
Here you’ll also find two markets: the Oriental Bazaar on Albert Street (between Queen and Commercial) and the Indian Market which is on the far side of the M3 at the west end of Victoria Street. Here one can find very good bargains – fabrics and clothes, shoes and leathergoods, jewellery and curios or electrical and electronic appliances.
The place for Indian spices is the Victoria Street Market where you can buy cumin, saffron, tandoori and any curry mixture in any variation and quantity.
Old crafts and past times still linger in the Indian Quarter; the place where you’ll find traces of India.
