Dhammikarama Burmese Temple () is a

Theravada Buddhist ''Theravāda'' (; 'School of the Elders'; ) is Buddhism's oldest existing school. The school's adherents, termed ''Theravādins'' (anglicized from Pali ''theravādī''), have preserved their version of the Buddha's teaching or ''Dhamma'' in th ...

temple within George Town in the

Malaysian state Malaysia is a federation of thirteen states and three federal territories, which form the primary administrative divisions of the country. Eleven states and two territories are part of Peninsular Malaysia, while two states and one territory ...

Penang Penang is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia along the Strait of Malacca. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay Peninsula. Th ...

. Situated at Lorong Burma opposite Wat Chayamangkalaram, it is the only Burmese temple in the state, and a focal point for the annual

Water Water is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula . It is a transparent, tasteless, odorless, and Color of water, nearly colorless chemical substance. It is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known liv ...

Thingyan Thingyan (/sɛŋkəmɑ/ ; , Old Mon language, Old Mon: သင်ကြာန် ), also known as the Myanmar New Year, is a festival that usually occurs in middle of April. Thingyan marks the transition from the old year to the new one, based on ...

and

Mid-Autumn The Mid-Autumn Festival (for other names, see § Etymology) is a harvest festival celebrated in Chinese culture. It is held on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Chinese lunisolar calendar with a full moon at night, corresponding to mid-S ...

festivals in the city, as well as the Buddhist Lent.

History

Since the early 19th century, there had been a Burmese settlement in

Pulau Tikus Pulau Tikus is a neighbourhood within the downtown core of George Town in the Malaysian state of Penang. Named after a rock just off the coast of Penang Island, this upper class neighbourhood is home to Eurasian, Thai and Burmese communitie ...

. On 1 August 1803, a small temple named "Nandy Moloh Temple" was erected in the area by the Burmese community from a land donated by Nyonya Betong after she purchased a land for $390 (

Spanish dollar The Spanish dollar, also known as the piece of eight (, , , or ), is a silver coin of approximately diameter worth eight Spanish reales. It was minted in the Spanish Empire following a monetary reform in 1497 with content fine silver. It w ...

) from George Layton. The first

abbot Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the head of an independent monastery for men in various Western Christian traditions. The name is derived from ''abba'', the Aramaic form of the Hebrew ''ab'', and means "father". The female equivale ...

for the temple was U. Nandamala. Since its early times, women devotees have been the mainstay of the temple with four female trustees; Nyonya Betong, Nyonya Meerut, Nyonya Koloh and Nyonya Bulan. As the Burmese community grows, they later appealed to

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

for additional lands to extend the temple size as well for the burial grounds of the elders. This was received positively by the government of the

Straits Settlements The Straits Settlements () were a group of British territories located in Southeast Asia. Originally established in 1826 as part of the territories controlled by the British East India Company, the Straits Settlements came under control of the ...

and a grant was made to two Burmese female trustees named Nongmay and Boonkhan during the term of W. J. Butterworth as the Straits Settlements

governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

in 1845.

Features

Established as a ''

kyaung A ''kyaung'' (, ) is a monastery ( vihara), comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of Buddhist monks. Burmese ''kyaungs'' are sometimes also occupied by novice monks (samanera), lay attendants ('' kappiya''), nuns (''thilashin''), and wh ...

'' (

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of Monasticism, monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in Cenobitic monasticism, communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a ...

), the temple serves as a retreat for Buddhist devotee, with a monks' quarters, a preceptees' lodge and a library within the temple grounds. Numerous statues of the

Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha (),* * * was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist legends, he was ...

and mythical creatures such as elephants, fishes and the ''

garuda Garuda (; ; Vedic Sanskrit: , ) is a Hindu deity who is primarily depicted as the mount (''vahana'') of the Hindu god Vishnu. This divine creature is mentioned in the Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain faiths. Garuda is also the half-brother of the D ...

'' to symbolise the "three realms of land, air and sea" are scattered within the temple, including a pair of winged chimeras known as '' Panca Rupa'' (the Guardian Protectors of the World) and a huge mural depicting the Renunciation of the Buddha. As with other Burmese temples, the ''

chinthe ''Chinthe'' ( (); (); ()) is the Burmese language, Burmese word for 'Asiatic lion, lion'. The wiktionary:leograph, leograph of ''Chinthe'' is a highly stylized lion commonly depicted in Burmese iconography and Myanmar architecture, architectur ...

'' is another prominent creature within the temple with the temple compound also featuring a gardening landscape. The oldest portion of the temple is its ''

stupa In Buddhism, a stupa (, ) is a domed hemispherical structure containing several types of sacred relics, including images, statues, metals, and '' śarīra''—the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns. It is used as a place of pilgrimage and m ...

'', which was consecrated in 1805. The ''

'' was then enshrined within an outer ''stupa'' that was built in 1838, along with the temple's

ordination hall The ordination hall (Pali: ''sīmā'') is a Buddhist building specifically consecrated and designated for the performance of the Buddhist ordination ritual (''upasampadā'') and other ritual ceremonies, such as the recitation of the Pāṭimokkha. ...

- '' Sasana Vamsa Sima Shrine Hall -'' which is guarded by a pair of stone elephants. The shrine hall was last renovated in 1995 to cope with the increase in the number of devotees. The standing Buddha in the shrine hall has a gold-gilded backdrop of carvings with the hall ceiling also exhibits fine carvings which are lacquered brown. In addition, a well was also dug for use by the surrounding Burmese community but since the advent of

piped water Tap water (also known as running water, piped water or municipal water) is water supplied through a tap, a water dispenser valve. In many countries, tap water usually has the quality of drinking water. Tap water is commonly used for drinking, ...

, the well has since been left unused. The temple's ''

Arahant In Buddhism, an ''Arhat'' () or ''Arahant'' (, 𑀅𑀭𑀳𑀦𑁆𑀢𑁆) is one who has gained insight into the true nature of existence and has achieved '' Nirvana'' and has been liberated from the endless cycle of rebirth. The und ...

Upagutta

Shrine A shrine ( "case or chest for books or papers"; Old French: ''escrin'' "box or case") is a sacred space">-4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of French, that is, when it wa ...: ''escri ...

'' was originally constructed in a wooden structure in 1840 before a new shrine is built in 1976. ''Upagutta'' is said to possess the power to ward off

evil spirit Evil, as a concept, is usually defined as profoundly immoral behavior, and it is related to acts that cause unnecessary pain and suffering to others. Evil is commonly seen as the opposite, or sometimes absence, of good. It can be an extremely ...

s, obstacles and dangers. The shrine is accompanied by two other statues; one of them are ''

Khema Khema (Pali: Khemā; Sanskrit: Kṣemā) was a Buddhist ''bhikkhuni'', or nun, who was one of the top female disciples of the Buddha. She is considered the first of the Buddha's two chief female disciples, along with Uppalavanna. Khema was ...

''. Subsequently, a new structure called as the "Golden Pagoda Bell Tower" were added to the temple where it is completed in 2011 with a cost of RM3 million. As with the rest of the temple, its ''

pagoda A pagoda is a tiered tower with multiple eaves common to Thailand, Cambodia, Nepal, India, China, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Vietnam, and other parts of Asia. Most pagodas were built to have a religious function, most often Buddhist, but some ...

'' is steeped in Burmese architectural styles, with artisans brought in from

Myanmar Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and has ...

specifically for the construction of the structure. File:Penang-Dhammikarama-Burmese-Temple-Burmah-Lane-Mar-2001-00.jpg, A

monk A monk (; from , ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery. A monk usually lives his life in prayer and contemplation. The concept is ancient and can be seen in many reli ...

standing in front of the temple gate. File:Penang Malaysia Dhammikarama-Burmese-Buddhist-Temple-09.jpg, The ''Panca Rupa'' winged chimeras (the Guardian Protectors of the World). File:BURMESE 4 DSC 0376.jpg, The temple ''

s'' as seen in 2008. File:Burmist and Siam Temple (32508093621).jpg, Arahant Upagutta File:Penang Malaysia Dhammikarama-Burmese-Buddhist-Temple-04.jpg, Roofing arts with

Burmese architecture The architecture of Myanmar (formerly known as Burma), in Southeast Asia, includes architectural styles which reflect the influence of neighboring and Western nations and modernization. The country's most prominent buildings include Buddhist pag ...

. File:Dhammikarama Burmese Buddhist Temple (12290272223).jpg, The ''Sima Shrine Hall''. File:Penang Malaysia Dhammikarama-Burmese-Buddhist-Temple-07.jpg, Inside one of the temple hall.

References

External links

* {{Malaysian historical architectures and sites Religious buildings and structures completed in 1803 1800s establishments in Penang Buddhist temples in Malaysia Religious buildings and structures in Penang Tourist attractions in George Town, Penang Overseas Burmese Buddhist temples Burmese Theravada Buddhist temples and monasteries 19th-century Buddhist temples