When I
saw the invitation to the Ground-Breaking Ceremony for the Indian Heritage
Centre at the Arulmigu Raja Mariamman Devasthanam
Temple, my thoughts flashed to my story on Johor
Baru’s Street of Harmony that features this temple among other places of
worship in my book, My Johor Stories:True Tales, Real People, Rich Heritage.
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| To Jalan Ungku Puan, off Jalan Trus in Johor Baru |
Just as immigrants from race groups like the Chinese, Sikh, Ceylonese,
Javanese and Arabs arrived in Johor to seek their fortunes, the Indians found
employment here as labourers and supervisors
or mandore in rubber plantations
developed in the outskirts of Johor Baru in the early 20th century.
A mandore*
in Sultan Sir Ibrahim Abu Bakar’s plantation at Pasir Pelangi appealed to the
sultan for land to build a temple to meet the religious needs of Indians and a
site was granted at Jalan Ungku Puan.
*Born in
1887, this man was Kutha Perumal Vandiyar, who had settled in Johor Baru and
realized that Hindus here needed a temple to meet their religious obligations.
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| Flower garlands for sale at the row of flower shops |
Vandiyar
was privileged to have a close friendship with the then ruler of Johor, Sultan
Sir Ibrahim, and it was said that they would often have tea together.
When
Vandiyar approached the sultan for a place to build this temple, His Royal
Highness magnanimously granted him an acre of land at Jalan Ungku Puan and also
contributed M$500, a sum of money worth more than RM10,000 towards the
construction expenses.
Vandiyar,
with the help of other Hindus, built the original temple and when it was
completed in 1911, the word, “Raja” was incorporated into its name as the Arulmigu Raja Mariamman Devasthanam Temple, in honour
of the sultan.
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| Members of the temple committee in the temple compound |
The
original temple has since been demolished. Over the years, the new
building (1986) was upgraded and expanded with an adjacent multi-purpose hall,
usually used for weddings, a row of flower shops, a meeting room and a carpark
in its compound.
In June 2011, the temple
marked its 100th year anniversary with a grand celebration.
This property, which occupies
the site at No. 1-A Jalan Ungku Puan, is a popular tourist attraction and a heritage
landmark accorded the coveted status as a Heritage Religious Institution on the
Persiaran Muafakat Bangsa Johor route
by the State Government.
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| Temple president, K. Kiruppalini [Seated Left] and temple priests performing the religious ceremony at the event |
The plan to add an Indian
Heritage Centre to its property is an exciting prospect and when it is ready,
this will be the first of its kind in the city.
On
my way to the event, I walk pass the flower shops in front of the temple
grounds and notice that they have recently had a facelift. This project, I
later learnt was accomplished with the support from Think City Johor Baru.
I
enter the temple compound and am greeted by my friends with a warm welcome.
I’m
ushered to the event site where (I’m told) a religious ceremony will take place
before the Ground-Breaking Ceremony, to be officiated by Guest-of-Honor, Member
of Parliament for Johor Baru, Tan Sri Shahrir Abdul Samad.
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| MP for JB, Tan Sri Shahrir Abdul Samad, handing the first brick over in the Ground-Breaking Ceremony |
I’m
glad that I’m among the witnesses of this historical event, where the first brick
will be laid by Tan Sri Shahrir, to symbolically start the construction of this
Heritage Centre!
Two years ago, Tan Sri contributed the sum of RM200,000 to the
temple to kick-start the project and in 2017, more funds were raised from a
charity dinner to boost the building fund for their Heritage Centre.
Now they
are ready to construct a tw0-storey building at a total cost of about RM1 million,
designed to showcase the vibrant history of the Indian community in Johor since
the days of its pioneers.
The
temple aims to promote greater awareness and appreciation of Indian heritage –
first to the Indians and also among fellow citizens and visitors – through
valuable artefacts, art and cultural exhibits and events, with an emphasis on
traditional musical instruments.
Speaking
of musical instruments, my reflections are interrupted by the dramatic beats of
a traditional Indian drum and the fanfare from a traditional Indian trumpet!
This
signals the prompt arrival of Guest-of-Honour, Tan Sri Shahrir.
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| Temple priest puts a sash on Tan Sri Shahrir's forehead |
Temple
president, K. Kiruppalini, and members of the temple committee usher Tan Sri to
his seat where he joins us to witness the religious ceremony happening at the
site of the future Heritage Centre.
In his
speech, Kiruppalini thanks Tan Sri for his generous support and explains that the
Heritage Centre project includes refurbishment of the flower shops as well as
upgrading the meeting room and multi-purpose hall.
Based on
the work schedule, he said the construction should be completed by 2019.
For the
Ground-Breaking Ceremony, Tan Sri leads the number of participants who handed
one brick each to the temple priest who then ceremonially placed the bricks as the
foundation inside a pit, dug into the ground.
According
to temple tradition, Tan Sri and the participants are honored by having a sash
tied to their foreheads and a flower garland placed around their necks.
Tan Sri
congratulated the temple committee on the occasion and said that the Heritage
Centre will be a wonderful addition to the character of Johor Baru as it will
add value to the temple attraction.
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| Tan Sri Shahrir speaking at the event |
He is
pleased that the Heritage Centre will soon become a reality and it will stand
as a legacy to the Johor Indian community by offering opportunities to all
sectors of the community to better appreciate and understand Indian cultural
practices and heritage.
“Kepada semua!” Tan Sri exclaims in Malay
[translated: “To all!”] and goes on to explain that it is his policy and
practice throughout his career as a politician, to support the needs of our multi-cultural
community.
From the loud
applause, the appreciation from the Indian community is apparent.
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| The temple is more than just a place of worship |
In addition
to an event souvenir, they also presented Tan Sri with a traditional garland
and wrapped a beautiful shawl across his shoulders.
The event
closed with light refreshments. And while I’m enjoying Indian delicacies like vadai and kesari, a South Indian sweet made from semolina that’s usually
served for special events, Kiruppalini is sharing more details about the temple’s
plans.
He said besides
valuable artefacts, the Heritage Centre will also showcase the temple’s golden
chariot.
The building
project will also include the construction of modern toilets designed to cater
to the elderly and physically challenged, an elevator as well as living
quarters for temple priests.
The
temple is not only a place of worship as they also oversee an Education Fund
for needy students and a Special Charity Fund to help single mothers and needy
families annually.
With an
annual cultural events calendar that organizes classical dance classes, yoga
classes, kolam contests and the
Ponggal Festival, the temple is a center that develops a healthy and vibrant community
that contributes positively to the state and nation, as a whole.
