Her idol resides in the innermost sanctum of Sri Maha Mariamman Temple of Kuala Lumpur with its own walls decorated in a divine look and stairs leading to her idol. Believed to be the incarnation of Goddess Kali she protects all her worshippers also curing diseases like smallpox, chickenpox and others.
She manifests the power and divinity of the Goddess Parvati being close to Goddess Durga. The chief deity of the temple is the Goddess Mariamman mostly worshipped by the people of South India especially Tamils since the pre-vedic period continuing still in various rural and urban areas. It replaced the earlier used, wooden chariot in 1893 being a crucial part of the festivities of Thaipusam to carry Lord Muruga and his consorts to the Batu Caves. The Chariot found inside Sri Mahamariamma Temple of Kuala Lumpur is made of 350 kilograms of silver, decorated with 240 bells and costing around RM 350,000. The huge prayer hall ( Source) Silver Chariot
The prayer hall is set in its unique magnificence with the power of divinity spread all around with the pillars also having eight idols of Ashta Lakshmi. As Lord Ganesha is the one believed to remove obstacles, his idol is also present at the entrance. There are three shrines in the main temple along with four others of Lord Muruga and on his left there is the shrine of Lord Ganesha. The premise has a dome, ornamented and decorated precisely with garbagraham, the innermost sanctum where the idol of God resides, having its own roof and walls with the priest standing in front of it during the puja. It is in the form of a lying human body with head towards the west and feet towards the east, beautifully designed by mural paintings and frescos. It is 5-tiered tower with a gateway for each and the chief deity resides in the inner part of the only entrance which faces towards the east.Īfter the entrance is the main hall where the chief and other deities of the temple reside. The feet is showcased by a 75 feet tall tower at the entrance having sculptures of 228 Gods and Goddesses beautifully and finely crafted. Sri Mariamman Temple is built in a unique architectural design with a structure being similar to the body of a man, his head pointing towards the west and feet towards the east. It was however, generally well maintained and very beautiful.The temple is designed in Dravidian Architecture in pure South Indian style with different features in each part. Unfortunately, there is very little information available about the temple. We spent around 20 minutes here to having a good look around and taking lots of photos. Recommended to visit both during the day and also at night when the temple is lit up with colourful lights. Tourists are made to feel very welcome, although this is also an active temple with many worshipers there when we visited. Shoes have to be taken off to the left of the entranceway, for a fee of 20cents each. Shoulders and knees must be covered by women to enter. Sri Maha Mariamman temple is also popular with Thai and Chinese people who believe that Hindu gods can help them in business.
April 2017 Unlike other religions, Hindus believe in idolatry, worshiping of an idol or a physical object as an embodiment of God. I was wearing baggy shorts to the knee and still had to wrap around a sarong around my waist to my feet. Sri Mariamman Temple is the oldest Hindu temple in Singapore. This is a very peaceful temple in the middle of a very busy district of Kuala Lumpur - 4 minutes walk from Petaling Street Market. There is an amazingly beautifully ornate entranceway and many intricate carvings and statues inside the temple, including an impressive mural wall. This colourful temple is the oldest Hindu temple in Kuala Lumpur.