Sri Mahamariamman Hindu temple at Queen Street is
dedicated to the Goddess who can take nine different forms. In Sanskrit,
Amman means temple. Hindus pray twice a day, once around sunrise
and another time around sundown.
Sri Mahamariamman Hindu temple at Queen Street
The temple is open for a few hours during prayer times.
Visitors are allowed to go in, regardless of religions to observe the
prayers and also to see the artifacts inside the temple. You must take
off your shoes and also your hat when you are in there. Photos may be
taken but not of the central figures in the middle of the temple. Also,
please pay respect to those who are praying by not taking their photos.
This small temple is sandwiched between Queen Street and
Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling. Even though it is small, it plays a big
part in many ceremonies among the devotees in Penang. This is where
people flock in to pray during Thaipusam, Deepavali or the harvest
festival, Ponggal. A kolam is permanently drawn in paint in the shape of
a lotus flower at the entrance of the flower.
For the very first time I entered the temple following a
tour organized by Penang Heritage Trust. Actually it was not a prayer
time yet, but the caretaker of the temple kindly opened the door for us.
Those who had not been inside took the opportunity to enter and listen
to the briefing by the caretaker.
The priests are especially brought in from India. They
stay for three years. After their time is up, other ordained priests
come to take their places. Priests in Hinduism are allowed to marry and
have children, just like ordinary people. So that they can experience
the normal lives and feel the happiness and pain just like the rest of
us.
The intricate teak carving of the twelve zodiacs,
this was taken with a flash as it was gloomy in the temple.
The interior of the temple is a little gloomy and cool.
I noticed that most of the little shrines around the central figure have
clothes in yellow especially to dress them. As this religion gives a lot
of weight to zodiacs, the roof of the temple is adorned with intricate
carvings made out of teak wood to symbolize all twelve zodiacs.
The nine black granite figurines
representing nine planets in the solar system.
At another corner also, there were nine small black
granite figures made to represent the nine planets of the solar system.
The ancient names are written alongside modern English name. This small
altar serves as a central point for sick people to come and circle
around it nine times. The astrologers well versed in the arcane art of
horoscope will advise the patients what to do based on their date and
time of birth. It is interesting that this is the basis of all modern
horoscopes being practiced today.
Carvings and artifacts in the temple.
I left the temple being satisfied as I have always been
intrigued by Hindu temples and I have never been in into one before.
Hindus are pre-dominantly Indian but other races also embrace this
religion too. The visit to Sri Mahamariamman temple was surely an
educational one for me.
View from the interior to Jalan Kapitan Keling;
one of the shrines dedicated to a patron saint.
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