The Sri Mahamariamman Temple is the oldest and richest Hindu temple in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Founded in 1873, it is situated at 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.
Introduction
Sri Mahamariamman Temple
Gopuram is the main entrance to the Hindu temple. It resembles a human body lying on its back with the head facing west and the feet pointing east. It is the tallest structure of a Hindu temple. The design work of the Rajagopuram idols consists of five tiers and is known as ‘5 Nilai Gopuram’.
The design of the Pyramid Gate embodies every detail of the Hindu culture and contains over 228 Puranas.
Gopurum
Structure and Symbolism
This Temple resembles the form of a human body lying on its back with the head positioned towards the west and the feet towards the east. The temple's 5-tiered gopuram corresponds to the feet of the body.
At the rear is the garbagraham or sanctum sanctorum, which corresponds to the head. It is a freestanding structure with its own roof and walls and has one entrance that faces east.The inner sanctum where the chief deity Sri Maha Mariamman is located.
Main prayer hall with richly decorated ceilings. The location of three shrines in the main temple is marked by an ornately embellished onion dome which can be seen from outside. There is also four smaller shrines located peripherally around the main temple building
Main Prayer Hall
Temple's Plan
Veethi
Large temples are built in concentric circle with the main shine in the centre. These circles are called veethi (or piraharam), situated one with other. Malaysian temples usually have one veethi. One veethi the human body; Three veethi – the physical, spiritual and astral bodies; Five veethi – the five different ‘sheaths’ or bodies that encase the soul and god who resides in the soul these bodies are made up of food, air and breath, the mind, knowledge and bliss.
The inner structure of a temple, according to the agamic texts, can be of two types; one resembles the end the other the body. The latter, however, is more common. This connection between the human body and the temple is explained in various ways. The inner structure has six main sections:
Inner Structure
Nadarajah Sabhai
Dugai Ammam
Sri Maha Vishnu
Navagraha
Gopuram
Veethi
Main Hall
Pecchai Ammam
Shoes Rack
Kitchen
Customs of Building a Temple
The Sri Mahamariamman Temple provided an important place of worship for early Indian immigrants and is now an important cultural and national heritage. Sri Mahamariamman Temple is also known as Village Temple.
The majority of Indians who came to Malaysian were from the rural areas in India and they brought with them the practices of folk Hinduism which coexisted with the agamic temples. These shrines or temples are "the material basis for an unusual or supernatural presence." their origin may be based on animistic beliefs and practices and hence they have a wide appeal. Most of them, are associated with spirits said to reside in certain species of trees.
The majority of these deities are female and are called the Mother Goddess (Uramma or Ambal). Among the most common forms of the Mother Goddess is Mariamman, or goddess of health and rain. She is reputed to protect against smallpox, cholera and other contagious diseases. Thus, she is invoked to protect the particular village against natural disasters and epidemic diseases. The Villagers tend to regard Mariamman in a parochial manner as one belonging so and protecting the particular community, clan or village. Other than Mariamman, there are a few male gods who serve as guardian deities of the village. Aiyanar, Muniswarar, Virabharar, Karuppannaswami are among these and they perform similar duties of protection as Mariamman. In short, the temples dedicated to these deities have been recognised as the precursors of the more elaborate temples. In the course of time most of these village deities have become associated with the main deities of the Hindu pantheon. In some instances, the Mother Goddess, Mariamman is conceived as "mothers" of all the main male deities of the Hindu pantheon and therefore regarded as superior.
Site Location
The appropriate site for a temple, suggest ancient Sanskrit texts, is near water and gardens, where lotus and flowers bloom, where swans, ducks and other birds are heard, where animals rest without fear of injury or harm. These harmonious places were recommended in these texts with the explanation that such are the places where gods play, and thus the best site for Hindu temples.
Major Hindu temples are recommended at sangams (confluence of rivers), river banks, lakes and seashore, Temples may also be built where a natural source of water is not present. Here too, they recommend that a pond be built preferably in front or to the left of the temple with water gardens. If water is neither present naturally nor by design, water is symbolically present at the consecration of temple or the deity. Temples may also be built, suggests Visnudharmottara in Part III of Chapter 93, inside caves and carved stones, on hill tops affording peaceful views, mountain slopes overlooking beautiful valleys, inside forests and hermitages, next to gardens, or at the head of a town street.
Batu Caves Temple in Malaysia
Purification of Land
The temple must be build in accordance to definite rules. The fitness of the soil will be tested and a pit is dug. The earth that has been taken out is put back again. Water is fill into the pit and the quality of the soil is judged according to the amount of water found there in the morning. When the suitable land is acquired and the ground is ploughed, seeds are sown and the quality of soil is tested according to the germination on the third, fifth, seventh or ninth nights and etc. The purification of the soil is complete when the land has been ploughed repeatedly. At the beginning of the various phases in construction of the temple, the “rite of seeds and their germintation” is most important. It precedes the building of the temple.
Kashi Vishwanath Temple in India
Another important phenomenon of the South Indian rural landscape which is pervasive in Malaysia is the dominance of village tutelary deities. The deities in these temples may be symbolised with nothing more than a trident, a small stone or a tree. Most of them represent folk beliefs and practices. They are associated with the earth, plants and fertility, all elements necessary for agricultural production.
Temple Design
Ancient builders of Hindu temples created manuals of architecture, called Vastu-Sastra (literally, science of dwelling, Vas-tu is a composite Sanskrit word Vas means reside, tu means you); these contain Vastu-Vidya (literally, knowledge of dwelling). There exist many Vastu-Sastras on the art of building temples, such as one by Thakkura Pheru, describing where and how temples should be built. By 6th century AD, Sanskrit manuals for constructing palatial temples were in circulation in India. Vastu-Sastra manuals included chapters on home construction, town planning, and how efficient villages, towns and kingdoms integrated temples, water bodies and gardens within them to achieve harmony with nature.
The spirits that have previously occupied the site has been asked to leave. Tributes would be scattered to them at night and again when they depart before day break. When the ground is tilled, the past ceases to count. The sowing of the grain is the final offering to the memory of the spirits who have left the place and gone somewhere in peace. It is also at the same time the first offering in the newly acquired land, so that the temple, the substance of God and his manifestation, might exist.
The Human Body and The Hindu Temple
First, we must acknowledge the layout of a Hindu public sphere and its metaphysical
manifestation.
The basic plan of a Hindu temple is an expression of sacred geometry where the
temple is visualized as a grand mandala categorized as sacred shape consisting of the
intersection of a circle and a square.
The plotting of the temple plan is in relation to the cardinal
directions and the heavens.
The square-shape is symbolic of earth, signifying the four directions
which bind and define it while the circle is a metaphor for heaven.
Without beginning or end,
it signifies timelessness and eternity.
The mandala is the meeting ground of heaven and earth. The
mandala is steeped in an ancient legend about the balance of good
and evil.
How does the Sri Mahamariamman temple pique my interest?
The most remarkable feature of the temple is a structure which is similar to the shape of a human body with its head positioned towards the west and the feet pointing east.
The feet are symbolized by a 75-feet high gopuram (monumental tower) standing five tiers high.
There is an impressive gateway at every tier, each adorned with 228 Hindu deities that are sculpted in the styles of south India.
The chief deity, Sri MahaMariamman, is installed at the inner sanctum which is the only entrance that faces to the east.
The Science of the Temple
The science of Vastu is believed as part of the Indian architecture.
Vastu Shastra developed during the period of 6000 BC and 3000 BC and the ancient Indian text Mayamatamrepresents Vastu Purusha as the presiding deity for all land structure meant for temples or houses.
Vastu Purusha Mandala is the metaphysical plan of a temple incorporating course of the heavenly bodies and supernatural forces.
This Mandala square is divided into (8×8 =64) 64 metaphysical grids / modules or pada for temples. (For dwelling places 9x9=81 metaphysical grids / modules or pada). At this square Vastu Purusha is shown lying with his chest, stomach and face touching on the ground - his head is shown at Ishanya (north-east) and his legs shown at Nairutya (south west).
The center point is known as Brahmasthanaand at this vital energy point Lord Brahma presides over the temple site and protects it.
Directions in Hindu tradition are called as Disa, or Dik. There are four primary directions and a total of 10 directions: East, South-East (Agneya), West, North-West (Vayavya), North, North-East (Isanya), South, South-West (Nauritya), Zenith (Urdhva), Nadir (Adho).
There are 'Guardians of the Directions' (Dikpala or Dasa-dikpala) who rule the specific directions of space.
In the Sri Mahamariamman Temple, you could spot a giant sliver chariot which is also a major feature during the Hindu festival of Thaipusam.
The chariot is brought out from the temple when Thaipusam approaches. You may pay a visit to the temple on that holy day to see for yourself how the chariot is used to carry the statues of Lord Muruga and his consorts (Valli and Teivayanni) up to Batu Caves in wee hours of the morning.
Prayers are offered prior to the long possession where devotees attach huge carriers (kavadi) to their bodies by hooks and haul the portable altars with lances piercing their skins. Other devotees will carry containers containing milk as offering to Lord Muruga. Thaipusam is one festival that never fails to attract curious onlookers who are keen to learn and observe Hindu cultures.
Another popular festival that puts the Sri Mahamariamman temple in the center of attention is Deepavali, the festival of Light.
There are six attributes to the temple.
1. Rajagopura or tower. It represents the feet of a human. The pyramid-like structure shooting up
the landscape dominates the skyline. On top of it resides the shikhara (peak). It marks the
location of the shrine room and rises directly above it.
2. Lanchana or copper flag. The lanchana is inscripted with the deity of the temple and is a
symbol of the structure's holiness. On the human body, the lanchana represents the loins.
3. Praakaara. The third is the walkway. Most temples have a walkway around the walls of the
inner chamber for circumbulation by devotees around the deity as a mark of respect to the God in
the temple. The field enclosures and pavilions through which he must pass to reach the sanctum
are symbolic. They represent the phases of progress in a man's journey towards divinity.
According to the scheme of transition, architectural and sculptural details vary from phase to
phase in the devotee's onward movement, gradually preparing him for the ultimate experience,
which awaits him in the shrine. This process mirrors the four-phased spiritual evolution
described in yoga: the waking state (jagrat); dream state (swapna); the state of deep sleep
(sushupti); and finally the highest state of awareness, turiya. The prakaram represents the hands.
4. Mandapam or the Temple Hall. Most large temples have a hall meant for the devotees to sit.
This is also called the natya-mandira (hall for temple-dancing) where, in days of yore, women
dancers used to perform dance rituals. Devotees use the hall to sit, meditate, pray, chant or watch
the priests perform rituals. The hall is decorated with paintings of deities. On the human body,
the Mandapam is the abdomen
5. Antaraala. The Front Porch: This area of the temple usually has a big metallic bell that hangs
from the ceiling. Devotees entering and leaving the porch ring this bell to declare their arrival
and departure. On reaching the main gateway, the worshipper bends down and touches the
threshold before crossing it. He is ready to pass into the abode. Entering the gateway, he is
greeted by a host of figures on the outer walls. The sculptures carved in sandstone tell stories and
educate members of society on the stories of creation.
6. Garbhagriha. Always in the North-east is the garbha griha (sanctum sanctorum) where in the
murthi or deity resides (representing the head in the human body). There are no pillars, windows
or ventilators. It is the interior and most sacred area of worship in the temple. Finally the shrine,
devoid of any ornamentation, and with its plainly adorned entrance, leads the devotee further to
the highest achievable state of consciousness of tranquility (turiya), where all boundaries vanish
and the universe stands forth in its primordial glory. It signifies the coming to rest of all
differentiated, relative existence.
This utterly quiet, peaceful and blissful state is the ultimate aim
of all spiritual activity. The devotee is now fully-absorbed in the beauty and serenity of the icon.
He or she is now in the inner square of Brahma in the vastu- mandala, and in direct communion
with the chief source of power in the temple.
An Introduction Video walkthrough in the Sri Mahamariamman Temple
Video showing the beginning of Puja in Sri Mahamariamman Temple
Puja is a prayer ritual performed by Hindus to host, honour and worship one or more deities, or to spiritually celebrate an event.
A Hindu temple design follows a geometrical design called vastu-purusha-mandala. The name is a composite Sanskrit word with three of the most important components of the plan. Mandala means circle, Purusha is universal essence at the core of Hindu tradition, while Vastu means the dwelling structure. Vastupurushamandala is a yantra. The design lays out a Hindu temple in a symmetrical, self-repeating structure derived from central beliefs, myths, cardinality and mathematical principles.
The four cardinal directions help create the axis of a Hindu temple, around which is formed a perfect square in the space available. The circle of mandala circumscribes the square. The square is considered divine for its perfection and as a symbolic product of knowledge and human thought, while circle is considered earthly, human and observed in everyday life (moon, sun, horizon, water drop, rainbow). Each supports the other. The square is divided into perfect 64 sub-squares called padas. Each pada is conceptually assigned to a symbolic element, sometimes in the form of a deity. The central square of the 64 or 81 grid is dedicated to the Brahman, and are called Brahma padas.
A Hindu temple is a symbolic reconstruction of the universe and universal principles that make everything in it function. The temples reflect Hindu philosophy and its diverse views on cosmos and Truths. Hinduism has no traditional ecclesiastical order, no centralized religious authorities, no governing body, no prophet nor any binding holy book; Hindus can choose to be polytheistic, pantheistic, monistic, or atheistic. Within this diffuse and open structure, spirituality in Hindu philosophy is an individual experience. It defines spiritual practice as one’s journey towards moksha, awareness of self, the discovery of higher truths, true nature of reality, and a consciousness that is liberated and content.
Figure 3: Vahanam
Figure 1: Kodi-Maram
Figure 2: Pali Peedam
Six Sections of the Temple
There are six abodes or bases (aadharams) in the human body. The six sections of the temple known as mandapams.
The conception of the body as a temple is explained as resembling a person lying on his back with his head and trunk touching the ground but the legs raised together at right angle to the body. In the human form which is a collection of various limbs, the head, neck, chest, the pulse or blood vessels (naadi) and feet are singled out in this correlation of the human form and temple. These sections relate to the six abodes (atharam) which are the six points of concentration in yoga.
Abode Part of the body Temple section
Muladharam Thighs Sabha mandapam
Svashishtanam Navel Alamkara mandapam
Manipurakam Stomach Snapana mandapam
Anakatham Chest Maha mandapam
Visutthi Neck Artha mandapam
Aknjai Head Garbha-graham
The flagstaff is placed between the Rajagopuram and the Sanctum sanctorum. It is made of wood, cladded with brass and with or without gold coating.
The Hindu animal sacrifice is known as Bali. The bali peetam in Hindu temples was to animal sacrifice in ancient days. That was followed up to some centuries ago. But, now time changed. Now, they offer prasadam of rice, pongal etc., to God in the bali peedam. Though the custom continued, the animal sacrifice not done inside the temple at bali peetam.
For Sri Maha Mariamman Temple the vehicle used is a lion. As suggested by the placement of the vehicle facing the deity, it is symbolic of the soul totally subdued and always looking towards God. The sacrificial altar is a symbolic one. Near it devotees prostrate themselves and shed all negative qualities before entering the main part of the temple.