Thursday, July 2, 2009

Mahamariamman Temple in Bangkok aka in Thai as Wat Khake

Wat Khake


Address:
2 Pan Road, Bangkok, 10500
Phone: +66 2 225 7612(Tourist Information)
Fax: +66 2 225 7615(Tourist Information)


Sri Mahamariamman Temple, Bangkok can be traced back to the latter half of the nineteenth century. This is an outstanding Hindu temple that was constructed at the initiative of the Tamil immigrants who settled down in southern Thailand. Initially the temple was built by the combined efforts of the traders and the laborers. Later however, more land was purchased and the temple was reconstructed.



The reigning deity of Sri Mahamariamman Temple, Bangkok is Mahamariamman or Uma Devi, who is flanked other Hindu divinities like Ganesha, Kandakumara, Krishna, Vishnu, Rashmi and Kali. Goddess Uma is worshipped here in her three incarnations of Parvati, Durga and Kali. A gold-plated copper dome adds to the majestic appearance of the temple. The courtyard of the temple contains a small shrine that houses the Shiva Lingam. The temple also houses few Buddha images which speak highly of the religious tolerance of Thai society. Sri Mahamariamman Temple, Bangkok illustrates the Chola and Pallava architectural styles. The detail and richness of the color of the carvings on the exterior of the temple make it stand out from way down Silom Road.

The daily rituals at the temple are conducted in the afternoon. The temple remains open to the public 6 am to 8 pm from Saturday s to Thursdays and from 6 am to 9 pm on Fridays. Make sure that you remove your shoes before stepping over any of the lines around the shrines.
OM SAKTHI!

Murugan Bakthi Links

These are two really awesome sites filled with resources. It can be a real candy store if you're a Muruga Baktha :).

www.kaumaram.com
www.murugan.org.

Check it out!

Sri Ganesar Temple (Kottu Malai Ganesar Temple) - aka Pudu Pillaiyar Temple


Kotta Malai Pillaiyar Temple
13 Jalan Pudu LamaKuala Lumpur, Malaysia 50200
Tel: +60 3 2222 4242
Opens - 8am to 6 pm daily
It is quite literally an institution in Kuala Lumpur. It located pretty close to the the main bus station at Puduraya KL. Its a small temple really but is renowned for its spiritual power in both Singapore and Malaysia. I have been there couple of times :).
The history of the foundation of the temple goes back to 1897, when an Indian gardener started a prayer session in the backyard of a British official's residence. Wagner, the official, threatened to destroy Ganeshar's image and days later, his hands and legs became paralysed. The gardener had a dream in which Lord Ganesha instructed him to smear vibuthi (ashes) onto Wagner's legs and hands. Wagner soon recovered. After this incident, Wagner initiated the building of a proper temple and provided the necessary funds. Today, Sri Ganesar Temple is a household name for almost every Malaysian Hindu.
If you're reading this and know something about this temple and can share, pls do!