Founder of Little India's iconic Jothi Store & Flower Shop passes away at age 93

SINGAPORE: Murugaiah Ramachandran, the founder of the iconic Jothi Store & Flower Shop in Singapore’s Little India, has passed away at the age of 93. Born in Tamil Nadu, India, Mr Murugaiah arrived in Singapore in 1948 as a teenager, working first as a compositor at The Straits Times and later as chief librarian at the Singapore Tiger Standard. In the early 1960s, he took a leap into entrepreneurship, opening a humble ottukadai—named “Jothi Store” in honour of his daughter—to supply flower garlands, betel leaves, and essentials for the devout worshippers in Little India or Tekka as it is known among locals. Under his stewardship, Jothi Store expanded from a small stall to occupy a five-storey building at 1 Campbell Lane. It soon became a cultural mainstay and its reach now extends beyond Singapore, with exports to Malaysia, the United States, Canada, Australia, and Europe. In 1986, his son, Rajkumar took the reins and steered the business to new heights—modernising operations while retaining the family’s commitment to serving the Singaporean Indian community . For more than six decades, Jothi Store became synonymous with Little India, providing goods for daily worship, Indian festivals, weddings, and community celebrations. It was honoured by the National Heritage Board as part of the “Street‑Corner Heritage Galleries,” cementing its place in the nation’s cultural tapestry . Despite semi-retirement, Mr Murugaiah remained a regular presence behind the counter well into his 90s. Tributes poured in as the Indian Heritage Centre confirmed his passing in a Facebook post on Friday (20 June). Members of the public, long-time customers, and community leaders shared heartfelt messages remembering the entrepreneur’s kindness, humility, and lasting impact on Singapore’s Indian community.

Many recalled personal interactions with Mr Murugaiah from his early days as a shopkeeper at Campbell Lane.

Sowaran Singh, a former customer, recounted, “I will remember him when he had a semi push cart cum shop in Campbell Lane. He was very kind and soft spoken. I did loads of events using his shop later. I last met him about nine months ago—he still came to the shop for a few hours. God bless his soul.”

Fellow netizen, Vickna Anandarajah, described Jothi Store as an essential part of community life: “Jothi Store became the go-to place to get traditional Indian, especially South Indian and Jaffna cookery and worship items. It became an icon of Tekka. My mum used to reserve Indian calendars from them, making it a yearly trip for her and then me.”

Another Facebook user, Mathilda Dsilva, wrote: “These are the pillars of the Singaporean Indian community, whose support and strong business commitment drive all of us forward. Singaporeans of all races have lost a prominent business role model and icon.”

Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry board director Shobha Tsering Bhalla added: “We used to buy flowers and other puja essentials directly from him in the early days, 39 years ago, when we made Singapore our home. We have had the privilege of seeing his shop grow into a Singapore landmark."

She added, "He was an institution. May his noble soul attain Sadgati. Om Shanti.”

Mr Murugaiah's family has been moved by the tributes. His son Rajkumar said in a Facebook comment, "On behalf of Jothi Store & Flower Shop ,we thank each and every one for your condolence on passing of my father, founder of JSFS Mr M Ramachandra. "Truly appreciate your kind words about my father, a legend, truly a humble person who had built a 65 years old traditional business for the needs of the Indian Community for all religious festivals and Celebrations."