Arulmigu Sri Rajakaliamman Glass Temple

Last updated

Arulmigu Sri Rajakaliamman Glass Temple
Arulmigu Sri Rajakaliamman interior.jpg
Religion
Affiliation Hinduism
District Johor Bahru
Deity Kaliamman
Location
Location Johor Bahru
State Johor
Country Malaysia
Malaysia location map.svg
Om symbol.svg
Location in Malaysia
Geographic coordinates 1°28′7″N103°45′35″E / 1.46861°N 103.75972°E / 1.46861; 103.75972 Coordinates: 1°28′7″N103°45′35″E / 1.46861°N 103.75972°E / 1.46861; 103.75972
Architecture
Type Dravidian architecture
CreatorSri Sinnathamby Sivasamy
Completed1922
Website
www.srirajakaliamman.org

The Arulmigu Sri Rajakaliamman Glass Temple is a Hindu temple in Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia. It is also one of the state's tourist attractions. The temple was listed in the Malaysian Book of Records as the first and only glass temple in the nation on 12 May 2010. [1]

Contents

History

The temple, one of Johor Bahru's oldest Hindu temples, is situated next to the railway tracks between Jalan Tun Abdul Razak and Jalan Mohd Taib (or close to the Tebrau Highway). It started in 1922 as a simple shelter on land presented by the Sultan of Johor.

In 1991, Sri Sinnathamby Sivasamy, current temple chairman and chief priest, also known as Guru Bhagawan Sittar inherited the administration of the temple from his father. He is the inspiration and driving force behind the temple. The Guru made a commitment to rebuild the temple upon inheriting it from the humble hut it once was. In spite of difficulties and challenges, the temple was rebuilt and officially reopened in 1996.

Rebuilding in glass

The Guru had the inspiration to rebuild the temple in glass during one of his trips to Bangkok. He was in a tuk-tuk in Bangkok when he saw a light shining like a diamond, some 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) away. The driver told him that it was a wat (temple). When he went there, he found that it was the glass artwork at the temple entrance that had caught his eyes.

He was amazed that a small glass artwork could capture his attention from a vast distance. This inspired him to use this technique in the Arulmigu Sri Rajakaliamman Temple. He believed a temple fully embellished with impressive glass artwork will attract local devotees and visitors from the world over.

Transformation of the temple with glass fittings started in 2008 and was completed in October 2009. [1] Since then, it has become one of the state's major tourist attractions.

Architecture

The exterior of the temple Arulmigu Sri Rajakaliamman Glass Temple - Flickr.jpg
The exterior of the temple

Light from crystal chandeliers is reflected on doors, pillars, walls and ceilings in a bright blaze that is quite blinding initially. At least 90 per cent of the temple is embellished by a mosaic of 300,000 pieces of red, blue, yellow, green, purple and white glass.

The centrepiece in the Athma Lingam sanctuary is a lotus for Shiva, on which devotees can pour rose water and perform their prayers. Guru says this special sanctuary is the first in Malaysia to be designed with walls that are fully covered with 300,000 mukni Rudraksha beads from Nepal.

At a glance, the walls appear to have an unusual embossed texture. Each Rudraksha bead is embedded in the walls with a chanted prayer.

The fully air-conditioned temple has a café that serves vegetarian meals for special events, and a function hall in an adjoining building.

Sculptures

There are 10 gold-finished sculptures close to the ceiling. Of the two figures on the left, one appears to be lying down and the other crawling, while the one on the far right seems to be reclining too. These sculptures portray the cycle of life, from birth, youth, adulthood, to old age and death.

There are 10 white marble statues standing 120 centimetres (47 in) tall each. According to the name plaques, these are Gautama Buddha, Guru Nanak Dev Ji, Sai Baba and Mother Teresa. The Guru believes that these are messengers of God, and visitors of other faiths will be happy to see them here.

Murals

On the left wing, there are two large panels on the ceiling painted by specially commissioned artists to convey a universal message of social and racial harmony.

In one picture, a cow is next to an Indian girl, a dog is near a Chinese girl while a Malay girl holds a cat in her arms.

The other picture has a Hindu motorcyclist being helped up by a Muslim after he fell off his bike, while a Buddhist is picking up his helmet and a Christian is lifting up the motorcycle.

Location and Opening Hours

The temple, located in 22 Lorong 1, Jalan Tebrau, Johor Baru, is accessible through Jalan Tun Abdul Razak and the lane that borders Gim Shew Building. Car and coach parking is available and there's also a shoe storage service.

It is open for devotees from 7am to 10pm daily, while visiting hours for tourists are between 1pm and 5pm.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Straits of Johor</span> Strait in Southeast Asia

The Johore Strait is an international strait in Southeast Asia, between Singapore and Peninsular Malaysia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abdul Razak Hussein</span> Prime Minister of Malaysia from 1970 to 1976

Tun Haji Abdul Razak bin Dato' Hussein was a Malaysian lawyer and politician who served as the 2nd Prime Minister of Malaysia from September 1970 until his death in January 1976. He also served as the first deputy prime minister of Malaysia from August 1957 to September 1970. He is referred to as the Father of Development.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hussein Onn</span> Prime Minister of Malaysia from 1976 to 1981

Tun Hussein bin Dato' Onn was a Malaysian lawyer and politician who served as the 3rd Prime Minister of Malaysia from the death of his predecessor Abdul Razak Hussein in January 1976 to his retirement in July 1981. Moreover, he was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Sri Gading from 1974 to 1981, representing Barisan Nasional (BN) and United Malays National Organisation (UMNO). He was granted the soubriquet Father of Unity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Batu Pahat District</span> District of Malaysia in Johor

The Batu Pahat District is a district in the state of Johor, Malaysia. It lies southeast of Muar, southwest of Kluang, northwest of Pontian, south of Segamat and Tangkak District. The capital of the district is Bandar Penggaram.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taman Johor Jaya</span> Housing Estate in Johor, Malaysia

Taman Johor Jaya is a suburb in Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia. Johor Jaya consists of mainly residential zones, but it also has light industrial and commercial zones.

Johor Bahru, Malaysia, has the following notable landmarks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johor Bahru Inner Ring Road</span> Road in Malaysia

Johor Bahru Inner Ring Road, (JBIRR) or Jalan Lingkaran Dalam, Federal Route 188, is a multi-lane federal ring road highway that circles the Johor Bahru Central District in Johor, Malaysia. The 4.6-kilometre (2.9 mi) highway was the most expensive road infrastructure project per kilometre of its time in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kulai</span> Town in Johor, Malaysia

Kulai is a town and the capital of Kulai District, Johor, Malaysia. It is administered by the Kulai Municipal Council (MPKu), which was earlier known as the Kulai District Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pasir Gudang Highway</span> Road in Malaysia

Pasir Gudang Highway, also known as Federal Route 17, is a highway in Johor Bahru District, Johor, Malaysia that connects Tampoi North in the west to Pasir Gudang and Tanjung Langsat in the east. Pasir Gudang Highway is a four-laned highway, unlike the wider Skudai Highway which has six lanes. Many cargo trucks travel along the highway daily. Pasir Gudang Highway became the backbone of the road system linking Johor Bahru to Pasir Gudang before being surpassed by the Senai–Desaru Expressway, SDE 22, and the Johor Bahru East Coast Parkway 35.

Johor Bahru–Kota Tinggi Highway (Malay: Lebuhraya Johor Bahru–Kota Tinggi), Federal Route 3, also known as Tebrau Highway (Jalan Tebrau) and Jalan Kota Tinggi is a highway that encompasses Federal Route 3 in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. Part of Asian Highway Route AH18, the highway stretches from its southern end at Jalan Wong Ah Fook and Jalan Tun Abdul Razak in the metropolitan area of Johor Bahru to the northern end at the underpass flyover with North–South Expressway Southern Route and Johor Bahru Eastern Dispersal Link Expressway around Pandan. The stretch of Tebrau Highway after this continues as Jalan Pandan and Jalan Kota Tinggi respectively, beyond Pandan. The highway became the backbone of the Johor Bahru road system linking Pandan to the city centre, and to the Johor–Singapore Causeway, before being surpassed by the Johor Bahru Eastern Dispersal Link Expressway in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Majidee Malay Village</span> Village in Johor, Malaysia

Majidee Malay Village is a Malay village located in the city of Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia. Its population is around 30,000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sri Mahamariamman Temple, Kuala Lumpur</span> Hindu temple in Kuala Lumpur

The Sri Mahamariamman Temple is the oldest Hindu temple in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Founded in 1873, it is situated at the edge of Chinatown in Jalan Bandar. In 1968, a new structure was built, featuring the ornate 'Raja Gopuram' tower in the style of South Indian temples.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sri Mahamariamman Temple, Penang</span> Hindu temple in George Town, Penang, Malaysia

Built in 1833, the Arulmigu Sri Mahamariamman Temple in George Town is the oldest Hindu temple in Penang, Malaysia, and features sculptures of gods and goddesses over its main entrance and facade. It is located at Queen Street, George Town.

Batu Pahat (BP) is a town and capital of Batu Pahat District, Johor, Malaysia. It lies south-east of Muar, south-west of Kluang, north-west of Pontian and south of Segamat. The town area is located inside Simpang Kanan parishes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johor Bahru Sentral station</span> Railway station in Johor, Malaysia

Johor Bahru Sentral is an integrated transport hub in Bukit Chagar, Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Urban Transformation Centre</span>

The Urban Transformation Centre (UTC) (Malay: Pusat Transformasi Bandar) is a public amenities centre located at some state capitals and urban areas in Malaysia. The rural counterpart of UTC is Rural Transformation Center(RTC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Balathandayuthapani Temple</span>

The Balathandayuthapani Temple, officially the Arulmigu Balathandayuthapani Kovil, better known as the Waterfall Hill Temple or "Thaneer Malai" by locals, is a temple complex located in George Town, Penang. The main deity of this temple is Murugan. Visitors need to climb 513 stairs to reach the temple. It is the focal point of the Hindu festival of Thaipusam in Malaysia, after the Batu Caves. The hilltop temple, with its seven-storey 21.6m-tall gopuram, has been touted as the largest Lord Murugan temple outside India.

References

  1. 1 2 All that glitters Archived 6 November 2010 at the Wayback Machine , New Straits Times, 5 November 2010.