Arulmigu Sri Mhariamman Temple










The Arulmigu Sri Mahariamman Temple is the oldest Hindu temple in Penang, Malaysia since 1833. Sculptures of gods and goddessesover its main entrance are unquestionably allured. Well, this ancient building is located at Queen Street.


This over 200 years temple is also known as Mariamman Temple or Queen Street Indian Temple, the Sri Mahammriamman, Sri Muthu Mariamman Temple. All thesenames refer to the same temple. Visitation to this temple is allowed however it was limited to certain period of the time only, it wise to obtain permission from the priest before entering the temple with bare foot.


Here is the brief history for this temple :


Penang one of the state in north Peninsular Malaysia, became well known for its commodities like nutmeg and pepper in 19th century had attracted traders from Europe, America, Arabia, India as well as China. It was during this time that the Tamil Indians arrived in the island's bustling harbour, and established their own 'Little India' community in the city.


Just like other Indian temples,it begin as small and simple. Throughout 200 years since 1801, although the temple is recognized as a spiritual place for worship, how the temple came to built on this land or who founded it, there is no exact information until 1835. Caption James Low confirms the existence of a temple in Georgetown. The fact that the Mariamman temple was founded in 1833 is first mentioned in anotice of 'Kumbabishegam'(consecration ceremony) held one hundred years later in 1933 with not much else description in that document.


In the year 2008, there was a big celebration commemorating the temple's 175th anniversary.

Kek Lok Si Temple

Air Itam (Old Penang) : A light rail or tramway once extended from the Weld Quay jetty to Penang Hill via Air Itam Road.

The Kek Lok Si Temple is a Buddhist temple situated in Air Itam in Penang and is one of the best known landmark tourist spot. It is one of the largest Buddist complexes in Malaysia and has a history of over 110 years. The construction of the temple began in 1893 and was inspired by the chief monk of the Goddess of Mercy Temple at Pitt Street. With the support of the consular representative of China in Penang, the project received the sanction of the Manchu Emperor Guangxu, who bestowed a tablet and gift of 70,000 volumes of the Imperial Edition of the Buddhist Sutras.


Even in those early times, fund-raisers were experienced enough to dedicate structures and artefacts to the temple's benefactors. These five substantial benefactors became known as the "Big Five Supporters" of the Kek Lok Si and their life-like sculptures and hose of a few other donors are kept in the upper floors of the Tower of Sacred Books, to perpetuate the memory of their generosity.

In 2002, a 30.2m bronze statue of the Kuan Yin was completed and opened to public. The statue is located on the hillside above the pagoda. The rambling temple consists of many prayer halls, pagodas, bell towers and just about every other typical temple structure you can think of, in varying styles from Burmese to Chinese to Thai. However, two structures dominate the scenery, especially when the temple is seen from afar. One is the seven storey pagoda which dates from the temple's founding. The other is a huge bronze statue of the Goddess of Mercy, Kuan Yin -- a popular diety in Penang. The statue was newly completed in mid-2003 but construction of various surrounding.

History of Kek Lok Si Temple

Godess of Mercy Temple

The history of Kek Lok Si can be traced to the late 19th century. The founder and first Abbott of Kek Lok Si was the Venerable Beow Lean, who was born into a devout Buddhist family in Fujian province in 1844. At the age of 33, he left his occupation as a businessman to devote his life to the teachings of Buddhism. In 1885, he came to Penang with the aim of obtaining donations for the renovation of a monastry in Fuzhou, China.


As faith would have it, the trustees of the oldest temple in Penang, the Kuan Yin Teng (Godess of Mercy Temple) in Pitt Street, offered him the position of Chief Monk-in-residence. Impressed by the deep devotion of the Penang Chinese to Buddhism, he accepted and settled down in Penang. "A man determined can move a mountain, but a devotion can carve one". It was through the sheer diligence, determination and devotion of Venerable Beow Lean that the Kek Lok Si temple began to take shape. With the blessingof his superiors and the unstinting support of five local tycoons.


Well-known Empress Cixi of the Ching Dynasty also wrote and presented hand-written scripts to the temple. The inscription in Chinese calligraphy Ta Seong Pao Dian on this plaque was written by his Majesty Emperor Kuang Xi of Ching Dynasty and was presented to the First chief Abbot of Kek Lok Si  in 1904. Today, these priceless heritage relics still exist in the temple archives.

Lebuh Aceh Mosque

Acheen Street is one of the many historical areas in George Town which still bears the among Muslim influnce in terms of its population as well as architecture and culture 

Lebuh Aceh Mosque is a 19th century mosque built by the Achenese  situated on Aceh Street, George Town, Malaysia

·       The Acheen Street Mosque and its surrounding complex is historically and architecturally important to George Town as a living heritage site.

·       Also known as Masjid Melayu Lebuh Acheh (Malay Mosque) and  it was founded by Tengku Syed Hussain Al-Aidid .

Architecture

·       The mosque was built with an octagonal minarat, an ablution area, a pool, a veradah and a cemetery including the mausoleum of Syed Hussain and  his family.

·       The Mosque is essentially hybrids; with a taste of the Moorish influence, oriental forms and Neo-Classical features. The styles can be seem from its arches, windows, columns, hipped roof and other elements on the minaret.

·        The Mosque is a good example of masonry building that is rich in architectural details and vocabulary as well as the adaptation of building elements to the climate

·       The mosque as well as the surrounding properties are now endowed for religious and cultural purposes, and  it is administered by the Penang State Religious Council. 

St George Church
Penang Beautiful Heritage Landmarks

History of Farquhar Street: At eighteenth century road, Farquhar Street was known as as Penang Road as appeared in the early George Town map of Lieutenant Governor George Leith.

St George Church Penang – The Grand Dame of South-East Asia Anglican Church

·       The popularity of Christendom's St. George is far-reaching and  touching the religious as well as the secular. Churches named after him are found in many parts of the world,including the historic city of George Town, Penang .St.George has also served as a fountain of inspiration to writers, artists and musicians. The most famous depiction of St George church was his battle with a ferocious dragon.

From its early days

·       The church was built in 1816 with the help of The East India Company.

·       The inspiration behind the formation of St George church was credited to  Reverend Robert Sparke Hutchings, a well known educationist and Robert Smith, an engineer and landscape artist.

·       Rev. Hutchings contributions towards the development of Penang  from an educational perspective are significant.

·        He founded the Penang Free School and wrote what were  considered the first books on Malay grammar.

·       Building commenced at a cost of about 60,000 Spanish dollars( it is quite a huge sum in those days)

Ministry

·       Former British Governor of Penang Colonel John Alexander Bannerman’s daughter later married at the church that was constructed during her father’s term. Janet Bannerman’s marriage to Governor W.E. Philips Esq on June, 1818, was the first marriage ceremony for St. George’s

·       Under the guidance of Rev. Hutchings, the church grew in popularity first among the members of the British colonialists and then among the locals.

·       Church services at the St George church were resumed after the fall of the Japanese Empire.

·       Today,services in English are held twice every Sunday,8.30am and 10.30am.

 The church's architecture

·        Captain Robert N. Smith of Madras Engineers was design the Georgian Palladium architecture of the church.

·        His work consisting of an impressive series of oil-painted  landscapes of Penang are now permanent exhibits at the Penang State Museum.

·        He illustrated the church in a hybrid architectural style described as
'Georgian Palladium'-  combination of:

-'Georgian', a style of architecture characteristic of Kings George I and IV    (1714-1830)

-'Palladium', named after the Grecian-styled architectural works of a Roman named Palladius

·        Without a doubt the huge Grecian columns lined outside the front entrance are the most striking feature of the church’s architecture.

·       The brick structure has a solid plastered stone base. When the occupants realised that the original Madras-style flat roof was unsuitable for the climate in Penang, a gable shaped roof was built in its place.

These days, mass is still conducted here every Sunday morning. Non-Christian couples who have fallen in love with the historical church often arrange for their wedding photographs to be taken in the compound while many Christians take great pride in exchanging their vows in a church that epitomkises eternity.

Cultural heritage is the legacy of cultural property and intangible attributes of a group that are inherited from past generations, and it is now conserve and bestow for the future generations. It is an unique and irreplaceable, which places the responsibility of preservation on the current generations. Such grassroots organization like the international body of UNESCO, United National Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, which have been successful to gain the necessary support to preserve the heritage of many nations for the future.

The Constitution of UNESCO was established and signed by 37 countries at 16 November 1945. During the current year 2012, World Heritage list include 936 properties had formed part of the cultural and natural heritage which the World Heritage Committee consider as having outstanding universal value.

Asian Heritage Spot

Malaysia Heritage Spot

There are over 725 cultural, 183 natural, and 28 mixed properties in 189 States Parties have been ratified the World Heritage Convention.

In Malaysia, George Town and Melaka were added to the list of the UNESCO World Heritage Site on 7 July 2008. These two Mlaysian Capitals thus joined the ranks of Gunung Mulu National Park and Kinabalu,
which both inscribed into the list in 2000.

 Places that have been recognized as world heritage sites in George Town are Fort Cornwallis, Weld Quay, Breach Street, Esplanade, including the "ethnic Streets" like the mosque and wakaf enclave of Acheen Street, Farquhar Street (Eurasians) , Air Itam (Old Chinese) and Masjid Kapitam Keling Road (formerly Pitt Street, Islamic Indian)

Penang has preserved the rich legacies of its Islamic, Buddhist, Confucian, Taoist, Hindu, Sikh and Christian communities. The Legacies can be seen in Penang's culture, architecture and contemporary religious practices. The bygone diaspora communities of Armenians and Jews are remembers in histioric sites and street names.


Today, the city of George Town capital of Penang, is blessed with more than 100 spiritual sites built by consecutive waves of migrants and sojourners. Although the part settlement has developed into a modern city, George Town remains the spiritual heartland for diverse communities whose ancestors settled in Penang before moving on the other parts of Malaysia, South-east Asia and the world.