Photograph of Janakibai (wife of Sutheyvall Kannoo)

This is a photograph of Janakibai, wife of Sutheyvall Kannoo. The couple were members of the Peranakan Indian community in Singapore. Peranakan Indians (also known as Chitty Melaka or Chetti Melaka) are descendants of South Indian traders (particularly Tamils) who settled in Malacca during the 15th to 16th centuries and married local women of Malay and Chinese descent. They trace their roots to Kampung Chitty, in Gajah Berang, Malacca, and there is a small community numbering approximately 5,000 in Singapore.