Wednesday 18 June 2014

A TEMPLE COVERED IN GLASS


I read about this glass temple in Johor which has become a tourist attraction.  I would love to visit this lovely temple if I happen to go to Johor.

Here is more info about the Glass Temple:

The Arulmigu Sri Rajakaliamman Glass Temple is a major Hindu temple as well as one of the oldest temples in Tebrau, Johor Bahru, Malaysia. It is also one of the state's tourist attraction. The temple was listed in the Malaysian Book of Records as the first and only glass temple in the nation on May 12, 2010.

The temple, one of Johor Bahru’s oldest Hindu temples, is situated next to the railway tracks between Jalan Tun Abdul Razak and Jalan Mohd Taib (or close to the Tebrau Highway). It started in 1922 as a simple shelter on land presented by the Sultan of Johor.

In 1991, Sri Sinnathamby Sivasamy, current temple chairman and chief priest, also known as Guru Bhagawan Sittar inherited the administration of the temple from his father. He is the inspiration and driving force behind the temple. The Guru made a commitment to rebuild the temple upon inheriting it from the humble hut it once was. In spite of difficulties and challenges, the temple was rebuilt and officially reopened in 1996.

The Guru had the inspiration to rebuild the temple in glass during one of his trips to Bangkok. He was in a tuk-tuk (auto-rickshaw) in Bangkok when he saw a light shining like a diamond, some 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) away. The driver told him that it was a wat (temple). When he went there, he found that it was the glass artwork at the temple entrance that had caught his eyes.

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