Mahamariamman Temple
Queen Street, George Town, Penang
The Mahamariamman Temple on Queen Street, often also called the Sri Mariamman Temple, with its back facing Pitt Street (Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling), is regarded as the oldest Hindu Temple in Penang. It is dedicated to the Hindu deity Mariamman, who has a following among the Indians of South India. Scholars believe the name Mariamman comes from two words, mari meaning power, and amman meaning mother. Thus Mariamman is considered a motherly power figure.
Mahamariamman Temple, Penang.
Like many other Hindu temples in Penang, the Mahamariamman began as a small and simple shrine. According to records, the land on which the Mahamariamman Temple stood was granted in 1801 by the British to one person by the name of Betty Lingam Chetty, who in all likelihood was the Kapitan (headman or community leader) of the Tamils and South Indians. This was done to ensure that the Indian community, which includes the merchants, labourers and sepoys are settled in one particular area, for ease of managing the group.
The Mahamariamman shrine was enlarged into a temple in 1833, and was renovated into its present form a hundred years later, with subsequent renovations being carried out over the years. The Mahamariamman Temple has a 23 feet tall sculptured tower, or gopuram, on which are 38 statues of Hindu deities.
During the nine-day Navarithri festival, Mahamariamman Temple holds a procession where the deity Mariamman is paraded in a decorated wooden chariot. The procession negotiates the tight streets of Little India.
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