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Wonderful Malaysia

Sri Mahamariamman Temple, Georgetown

Situated right in the middle of Penang’s Little India in the city of Georgetown is the Sri Mahamariamman temple, a truly amazing architecture that delivers a sight filled with culture and heritage.

Sri Mahamariamman Temple in Georgetown, Penang 1

The Sri Mahamariamman temple dates back to the year 1801 and is known to be one of the most popular altar and spiritual worship entities in the country. Back then, the Sri Mahamariamman temple was constructed after the Indian community realised a need for a proper temple ground to worship the gods. The number of devotees had increased each year, leading to a lack of space for them to perform prayers and rites. After much extension and refurbishment, the original temple was fully completed in 1833 where it still stands erect today close to two centuries since its building.

Sri Mahamariamman Temple in Georgetown, Penang 2

The beauty of the Sri Mahamariamman temple is the elaborated art work, known as gopuram, plastered around the building. Every piece of art work was made by the hands of Southern India’s finest and the best artists. Other parts of the temple is also decorated with various Hindu deities, sacred animals and colourful and eye catching architecture, making it one of the best and most stunning temples in Penang island.

Sri Mahamariamman Temple in Georgetown, Penang 3

Subramaniam, Durga, and Ganapathy are just some of the beautiful deities that are worshipped here in the Sri Mahamariamman temple. All the sculptures clearly show the magnificent workmanship of the artists. There are also some exclusive statues which have gold, diamond and emerald finery mounted on it, such as the statue of Lord Subramaniam.

Sri Mahamariamman Temple in Georgetown, Penang 4

Prayers usually take place in the early morning, so if you would like to observe how the temple priests conduct the prayers, do drop by the temple in the early morning. However, make sure you adhere to the unwritten rules of the temple or any other house of worship. You will first need to obtain the permission of the elder priest before entering the temple. Do not attempt to sneak in as it is not polite and you might even offend the gods. Also, remember to take off your shoes before entry.

Opening hours

Known also by other names such as Sri Muthu Mariamman Temple and Sri Arulmigu Mahamariamman Temple, the Sri Mariamman Temple is open every day from 8.00am to 12.00pm The temple is closed for a break of several hours and you are welcome to resume your visit at 4.30pm to 9.00pm

Entrance fees

Entrance to the temple is free of charge. Visitors are not allowed in with their shoes on.

How to get to the Sri Mahamariamman Temple

The temple is located in the center of Georgetown on Lebuh Queen (Queen Street) in the Little Indian area. The back entrance is on Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling (Pitt Street), in between Lebuh Pasar and Lebuh Chulia. To visit this lovely temple from Kuala Lumpur, you will need to make your way to the island of Penang either by road or by air. The journey by road will take you between 3-4 hours depending on your speed while one of the flights available daily will take you only 50 minutes. However, if you are already in Penang, make your way to Jalan Masjid Kapitan Kling (Lebuh Pitt) which the temple sits on. The road lies in between Lebuh Pasar and Lebuh Chulia, two of the most popular streets in Penang, so you’d wouldn’t have trouble finding this structure rich in culture and arts.

Video Sri Mahamariamman Temple

Map of the Sri Mahamariamman Temple, Georgetown

Suggestions?

Got any good tips to share with us? Do you know of any great things to do in Penang, or tips on the best places to eat? Let us know by leaving a reply below!

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Tourism Malaysia

Exploring Georgetown, Penang

Exploring Georgetown, Penang

Georgetown in Penang, Malaysia is a hotspot for history buffs; its origins as a British colonial trade depot serving as the foundation for the district’s dining, shopping and cultural attractions. Nicknamed the “Pearl of the Orient”, Georgetown’s status as Penang’s foremost historical attraction was cemented in 2008 by UNESCO recognition as a World Heritage Site.

Trishaw in front of Penang City Hall. Pic: Tourism Malaysia.

Trishaw in front of Penang City Hall. Pic: Tourism Malaysia.

Over the centuries, trade and war brought a rich blend of ethnic settlers to Georgetown. Chinese, Indians, Malays, Arabs, Siamese, Burmese and European settlers built their homes and trading houses side by side in Georgetown, resulting in a colorful collection of historic buildings: Chinese clan houses, European churches, Chinese and Indian temples, Malay mosques, streets lined with bungalows and shophouses, and, of course, the aforementioned British fort.

Today, Georgetown lies in a 109-hectare plot bounded by Love Lane, Gat Lebuh Melayu, Jalan Dr. Lim Chwee Leong, and the Straits of Melaka. Within this district, visitors can find over 1,700 historical buildings, with the most famous examples aligned down Georgetown’s four main streets Pengkalan Weld, Lebuh Pantai, Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling and Lorong Love.

We recommend you start your Georgetown trip at the offices of the Penang Heritage Trust (26 Church Street, www.pht.org.my), where you can secure maps and brochures to help you get your bearings on this rich historical district in Penang.

Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, Georgetown, Penang. Pic: Tourism Malaysia.

Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, Georgetown, Penang. Pic: Tourism Malaysia.

Penang’s Chinatown is located in the vicinity of Lebuh Chulia and Lorong Love, and hosts some of Georgetown’s most popular bars, restaurants, and budget hotels, along with a rich array of shophouses, markets, and houses of worship. Visit the Khoo Kongsi clan house at the corner of Lebuh Pitt and Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling and the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion on Lebuh Leith to see how prosperous Chinese merchants must have lived like back in the day.

The Hainan Temple, Kuan Yin Teng temple, and Acheen Street Mosque demonstrate the rich faith practised by traders in Chinatown. And it wasn’t all trade going on around here – Chinese nationalist hero Dr. Sun Yat Sen called Georgetown home for a while, staying at an apartment at 120 Lebuh Armenian that is now a shrine to his memory.

Georgetown is big on places of worship, nowhere more so than Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling, also known by its nickname “the Street of Harmony”. Its moniker is well-earned; a variety of religious buildings line this street, including the Kapitan Keling Mosque that gave it its name; the Sri Mahamariamman Temple; and the Goddess of Mercy Temple.

The British never really left Georgetown as you can see from the significant architectural presence they left behind. Significant British sites include Fort Cornwallis on the north-eastern coast; Victoria Clock Tower, the Town Hall and the State Assembly Building on Lebuh Light; St. George’s Anglican Church on Farquhar Street; and City Hall on Padang Kota Lama Road.

Fort Cornwallis, Georgetown, Penang. Pic: Tourism Malaysia.

Fort Cornwallis, Georgetown, Penang. Pic: Tourism Malaysia.

Visit Little India for some of Georgetown’s finest eats; it’s the area bounded by Penang Street, Market Street, King Street, and Queen Street. You’ll find mamak restaurants serving hot teh tarik; Indian restaurants serving up roti canai, banana leaf rice, biryani, tandoori chicken, and an endless variety of curries; and street vendors hawking Malaysian noodle dishes.

Other key places to see in Little India include the King Street Temples, Nagore Shrine at the corner of King and Chulia Streets, and Sri Mahamariamman Temple on Queen Street. Penang has a richly-deserved reputation for food, and most of that reputation was earned by Georgetown restaurants and hawkers. Chinese and Indian food come good and cheap, served in street carts along Gurney Drive. For authentic dim sum and noodle dishes served up Penang style, Lebuh Cintra’s food carts are happy to oblige.

Jalan Penang caters to both high and low food budgets, with posh lounges and tapas bars, along with the gigantic food court Red Garden near the corner of Jalan Chulia. If you stay for the weekend, you’ll discover Upper Penang Road’s transformation into a street market on the last Sunday of every month. The “little Penang Street Market” features 70 stalls with street food, live performances, kids’ activities, and other special diversions.

Other shopping stops in Georgetown include the fancy Gurney Plaza shopping centre on Gurney Drive; the more downmarket Chowrasta Bazaar on Jalan Penang; Midlands Park Centre on Burmah Road; and the stalls along Lebuh Campbell, Lebuh Chulia, and Lebuh Pantai.

Getting around Georgetown is relatively easy, thanks to a free shuttle bus (MPPP Rapid Penang CAT) that services 19 stops within Georgetown and its surrounding buffer zone. Other transport options include taxis and trishaws; both Weld Quay Jetty and the KOMTAR Complex serve as major bus terminals for Penang.

Or you can just explore on foot, the way Georgetown’s rich mix of residents did of old; you may be pleasantly surprised by what you find while you walk down Georgetown’s narrow history-filled streets.

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Wonderful Malaysia

Cultural makeover for Kuala Lumpur

Parts of central Kuala Lumpur will soon be given a makeover to better reflect Malaysia’s cultural heritage. Information, Communications and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim said his ministry was in discussion with the Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing Ministry and the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) to put together a proposal to be presented to the Cabinet for approval.

“We already have a Little India in Brickfields and a Chinatown in Petaling Street which does well to represent the Indian and Chinese cultures respectively. We hope to transform some areas in KL, such as the stretch from the KTMB building to the Sultan Abdul Samad building, to better reflect other cultures which are also part of our national heritage,” he said, adding that the makeover would include Jalan Melayu to better portray Malay culture.

Dr Rais said he hoped the initiative would instill patriotism and greater appreciation for the nation’s cultural heritage, especially among the younger generation. The minister said this while officially declaring 154 National Heritage items, including nine living persons at the Sultan Abdul Samad building here yesterday. Among the nine recognized for their contributions to the country as a part of our national heritage are Nyonya Tan Abdullah for her dondang sayang, Eyo Hock Seng for his work in wayang kulit and mak yong practitioner Mek Jah Deris.

The other items listed are iconic buildings, archaeological and natural sites, traditional games, martial arts, traditional cuisine, local arts and craft, dances, as well as traditional medical practices. At the event, Rais also witnessed the official flag-off of the Jejak Warisan (Heritage Footsteps) Program which was participated by 450 students from schools in KL and Selangor. The minister said programs such as these were important to ensure the country’s heritage is not forgotten by the younger generation. “Our heritage is our identity as a nation. We need to pass on the stories, the arts and culture which makes us who we are, to the generations after us,” he said. Source: Thestar.com.my

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Cuisine in Melaka

BRING BACK OLD MEMORIES

Monday August 13, 2012

Bring back the good old memories

THOSE born in the 50s, 60s and 70s will surely remember Capitol Theatre (pic) and Lido cinema situated smack in the middle of (old) Malacca town.

At that time Wolfersten Road (where Capitol Theatre was located) and Bunga Raya Road (where the recently-burnt Lido cinema was sited) were “the” places to be.

It was the shopping centre/haven for Malaccans as the central bus station and wet market were located nearby.

Malaccans will remember that both these cinemas, among a few entertainment outlets in town which showed Indian, Malay, Chinese and Hindi movies.

Those working in estates would throng the cinema on the 7th and 21st of each month to watch the latest Indian movie when they received their fortnightly pay.

There was this famous ice kacang stall along Jalan Bunga Raya that all of us used to frequent and remember fondly because of its affordable prices. Imagine paying 15sen for ice kacang without milk and 20 sen with milk!

On a recent trip to this historical city and incidentally my hometown, I was taken aback to see the appalling condition of the abandoned Capitol theatre.

It appears to have been abandoned and is an eyesore to former Malaccans and tourists.

I strongly feel that this former icon should be restored as a heritage building and restored to its former glory. Hopefully, it will not suffer the fate of its counterpart, the former Lido cinema which was burnt down recently.

For instance, Malacca’s “Little India” is located at one end of Wolfersten Road but at the other end where Capitol Theatre is located, the area has been totally neglected, except for one shop selling souvenirs and Malacca goodies.

I suggest that the Malacca state government consider a comprehensive plan to redevelop the old Malacca town as a tourist attraction.

I’m sure Malacca-born diehards will also visit this “restored town” to share with their families and friends the “good old days”.

Please bring back the good memories of good old Malacca.

DR POLA SINGH
Kuala Lumpur

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Cuisine in Melaka

MELAKA LITTLE INDIA RENOVATION WORKS

Wednesday October 12, 2011

Facelift works in Malacca’s Little India to be completed before Deepavali
By R.S.N. MURALI
murali@thestar.com.my

MALACCA: The Festival of Lights is set to shine brighter on the business community in Malacca’s Little India following the resolution of a controversy over its facelift works.

State Suburban Development and Agriculture Committee chairman Datuk R. Perumal said work on the site would resume and be completed before Deepavali, which falls on Oct 26.

“We have settled all the hitches surrounding the contractor’s ap pointment. Work has commenced and will be completed as scheduled,” he said in an interview here yesterday.

Dissatisfaction over the appointment had brought the RM2mil project, which was supposed to emulate Jonker Walk’s success, to a standstill for over a week.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam had directed Perumal to sort out the dispute over the appointment, which was made in September.

Perumal said although the disgruntled group accused the state of cronyism when it awarded the job to a reputable contractor here, the tender had gone through normal procedure.

“The selection board granted the job to only the qualified bidder without any favouritism,” he said, adding that the state government wanted to ensure that the project was implemented smoothly.

“We managed to explain the rationale for the appointment of that particular contractor to the unsuccessful bidders. Finally, it was accepted,” said Perumal, who is also state MIC chairman.

He said the state was stringent in awarding the job and some of those who bid for the contract did not even meet the requirements set by the tender board.

Perumal said the job involved designing and building as well as installing ornaments for the stretch from Padang Nyiru, and along Jalan Laksamana and Jalan Bunga Raya that was within Little India.

He added that the contract for the project was managed by the State Development Board on behalf of the Tourism Ministry.