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| Waterfall Hill Temple |
Arulmigu Balathandayuthapani Temple
(Waterfall Hill Temple) is one of the oldest Hindu temples in Penang. It
was originally located within the grounds of the Penang Botanical
Garden and it was moved to the top of the hill later. Waterfall Hill
Temple is the last station for the Thaipusam procession.
Yesterday,
I came to this Hindu temple with my friends. Our team was made up of
people from different races and different countries. We have an Indian
girl, a Chinese guy, a girl from Japan and two friends from Macau.
http://www.penang-traveltips.com/balathandayuthapani-temple.htm
This post was originally written on 17th February 2014
Before
going up to Waterfall Hill Temple, there are two Hindu temples located
at the bottom of the hill. One is located at the entrance of the stairs
and the other one is located at the exit of the stairs. The former one
is the Arulmigu Sree Ganesha Temple. The deity Ganesha is widely revered
as the removal of obstacles and it's elephant head makes him easy to
identify.
The
shrine at the stairs exit is the Aulmigu Naga Naathar Temple. Next to
the shrine is a 8.23 meters Shiva statue. Shiva is one of the three most
influential denomination in Hinduism.
One
has to climb 513 stairs before reaching the Waterfall Hill Temple. We
have to take off our shoes and put it at the Arulmigu Sree Ganesha
Temple there. What's surprised me was the road that seem to be so hot
was actually not hot at all. In fact, I felt some coldness from the
road.
There are different routes for going up and going down the hill
Waterfall Hill Temple can be fully seen at half way to the hilltop.
Upon
reaching the Waterfall Hill Temple, I didn't feel tired at all, it
feels like the 513 stairs was just a very short distance. The
seven-storey gopuram (main tower) of the temple has a height of 21.6
meters, which is equivalent to a seven-storey high building.
This
is the bell tower located beside the temple. Every time the prayer
begins, the bell will be rang. Each day, the bell will be rang four
times.
Waterfall
Hill Temple has a hall (maha mandapam) of 20, 000 sq ft which is
estimated to accommodate up to 700, 000 visitors, a number expected for
every Thaipusam Festival.
The
temple pillars feature the 14th and 15th century architectural styles
of Chola and Padya temple designs. The crafting work was done by the
Indian artisans form South India.
The
main deity of the temple is Lord Murugan, which is the God of War and
Victory. Every year during the Thaipusam Festival (Lord Murugan
Birthday), the temple will grandly celebrate it and this grand
celebration has attracted tourists from all over the world.
Beside during the Thaipusam Festival, there are devotees coming everyday to pray in the temple.
This metal peacock can be seen around the wall of the temple. It is the ventilation system of the temple.
Another
special thing inside the temple is the design of their lamp. These
lamps are designed with a regular floral pattern and they are all very
colourful. I saw on a article saying that there are actually eleven of
these lamps but I have only found nine of them.
We
stayed for a while in the temple before heading back. When we went down
from the hill, it was already 12pm. The stairs was not as comfortable
as how it was when we went up the hill, our foot feet so hot now. We
speed up and step on the shadow part along the stairs.
Visit the following link for more information about the Waterfall Hill Temple:http://www.penang-traveltips.com/balathandayuthapani-temple.htm
This post was originally written on 17th February 2014
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