Arulmigu Sri Rajakaliamman Glass Temple
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Arulmigu Sri Rajakaliamman Glass Temple | |
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Religion | |
Affiliation | Hinduism |
District | Johor Bahru |
Deity | Kaliamman |
Location | |
Location | Johor Bahru |
State | Johor |
Country | Malaysia |
Geographic coordinates | 1°28′7″N 103°45′35″E / 1.46861°N 103.75972°E |
Architecture | |
Type | Dravidian architecture |
Creator | Sri Sinnathamby Sivasamy |
Completed | 1922 |
Website | |
www |
The Arulmigu Sri Rajakaliamman Glass Temple is a
History
This temple, which is one of the oldest
In 1991, Sri Sinnathamby Sivasamy, who is currently temple chairman and chief priest, also known as Guru Bhagawan Sittar inherited the administration of the temple from his father. He has been the driving force behind the temple's renovation and expansion, committing to rebuilding it from the humble hut that it once was. Despite facing challenges and difficulties, 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
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
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
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
girl holds a cat in her arms.The other picture has a
Location and Opening Hours
The temple, located at Jalan Tun Abdul Razak 1/1, Wadi Hana, Johor Bahru, 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
- Kanch Mandir Kach Mandir, Indore, 1903
References
- ^ a b All that glitters Archived 6 November 2010 at the Wayback Machine, New Straits Times, 5 November 2010.