When we got back to George Town we stopped for a (quick)? beer and got talking to a lovely couple (David and Kim) who are travelling the World for 8 months as a sort of belated Gap Year - they are similar ages to us.
After a couple of drinks David couldn't drive and the temples I'd planned in the afternoon were just too far away to walk to in the heat so we organised a 'Grab' which is a kind of Uber car and set off around 4pm.
Although we don't plan to visit too many temples on this trip there are several around Penang which looked interesting when I was researching from England. Because of its multi-cultural population every denomination is catered for here. Like the one we visited this morning, these temples are Buddhist but one is a Thai temple and the other Burmese. They are on the same street - across the road from each other which simplified our sightseeing.
The first one we saw was the Wat Chaiyamangalaram Temple. Wat is theThai word for temple.
It is quite small but stunning (lots of bling). Its main claim to fame is the reclining (or sleeping) Buddha statue.
The main shrine and pagoda of Wat Chaiva was constructed in 1900 after the East India Company granted a piece of land on behalf of Queen Victora to the community during British colonial rule back in May 1845.
Like all reclining Buddha statues, this one depicts Buddha on his death bed, lying on his right side with a blissful expression as he prepares to enter Nirvana.
His robe is gold plated and even his toe nails are painted in fine detail.
Around the hall there are scores more statues of Buddha and other deities all with red collection boxes nearby describing the gifts that would be bestowed on donors and their families in return for donations. They were getting filled regularly by devotees keen to ingratiate themselves with the gods.
David was born in the Chinese year of the Pig (2019 is also year of the Pig so this is HIS year).
and mine is year of the Dog
Its known as the hall of 1,000 Buddhas because the walls are covered with miniature portraits of the God. You can see some of them here, behind the statues.
Major sponsors/donors/devotees are immortalised via these urns decorating the walls of the main hall
Devotees could also purchase small pieces of gold leaf with which to adorn certain designated icons to enhance their chances of receiving blessings.
Impressive as the reclining Buddha is, I preferred the Bling on the outside of the temple in the courtyard. Directly in front are two Thai guardian statues. One has a green face and the other red (I don't know if that is significant). There are also giant serpents and dragons which have been recently redecorated with glass mosaic pieces which are just stunning in the sun - the photos really don't do them justice.
Directly across the street is a Burmese Buddhist temple - Dhammikarama Burmese Temple. Its the first Buddhist temple in Penang apparently dating from early 19th century.
The Sima Shrine Hall at the centre houses a number of large standing Buddhas, the main one is carved from marble and cloaked in gold and towers over the prayer hall. In an annex behind there is a row of smaller standing figures representing the various countries within the region who practice Buddhism.
There is a pond and brightly painted wall mural which I read depicts Prince Siddhartha Gotams's rununciation of worldy desires and his search for enlightenment. But you can probably work that out yourselves from the photos .....
I found this temple a bit gaudy and fairground-like ... best way I can describe it. The gardens were attractive but with a lot of shrubbery masking some of the things I would have like to photograph so short of shimmying up trees of views were restricted. The photos are a random selection.
We sat in the shade eating ice creams to cool down before heading 'home'. I had a mint flavoured one but David bravely opted to try Durian flavour. Durian fruit is much loved by the Chinese/Malays. It smells so horrible that the fruit cannot be carried on public transport or taken into hotel rooms. Apparently if you can get past the smell, the fruit is very tasty. I tried many years ago in Singapore but couldn't acquire the taste.
Then back to the hotel to freshen up.
David wanted 'Malay' food tonight and our hotel Manageress recommended a local Nyonya restaurant. The word nyona describes the Peranakans who were descendants of Chinese immigrants who settled into Indonesia and parts of Malaysia. They intermarried and developed their own style of cooking
Having got there David looked at the restricted menu and said he didn't really fancy any of it so he let me decide. I skipped all the veggie stuff, including the 'stinky beans' and ordered 3 dishes which all turned out to be lovely and he enjoyed the meal!
After a couple of drinks David couldn't drive and the temples I'd planned in the afternoon were just too far away to walk to in the heat so we organised a 'Grab' which is a kind of Uber car and set off around 4pm.
Although we don't plan to visit too many temples on this trip there are several around Penang which looked interesting when I was researching from England. Because of its multi-cultural population every denomination is catered for here. Like the one we visited this morning, these temples are Buddhist but one is a Thai temple and the other Burmese. They are on the same street - across the road from each other which simplified our sightseeing.
The first one we saw was the Wat Chaiyamangalaram Temple. Wat is theThai word for temple.
It is quite small but stunning (lots of bling). Its main claim to fame is the reclining (or sleeping) Buddha statue.
The main shrine and pagoda of Wat Chaiva was constructed in 1900 after the East India Company granted a piece of land on behalf of Queen Victora to the community during British colonial rule back in May 1845.
Like all reclining Buddha statues, this one depicts Buddha on his death bed, lying on his right side with a blissful expression as he prepares to enter Nirvana.
His robe is gold plated and even his toe nails are painted in fine detail.
Around the hall there are scores more statues of Buddha and other deities all with red collection boxes nearby describing the gifts that would be bestowed on donors and their families in return for donations. They were getting filled regularly by devotees keen to ingratiate themselves with the gods.
David was born in the Chinese year of the Pig (2019 is also year of the Pig so this is HIS year).
and mine is year of the Dog
Its known as the hall of 1,000 Buddhas because the walls are covered with miniature portraits of the God. You can see some of them here, behind the statues.
Major sponsors/donors/devotees are immortalised via these urns decorating the walls of the main hall
Devotees could also purchase small pieces of gold leaf with which to adorn certain designated icons to enhance their chances of receiving blessings.
Impressive as the reclining Buddha is, I preferred the Bling on the outside of the temple in the courtyard. Directly in front are two Thai guardian statues. One has a green face and the other red (I don't know if that is significant). There are also giant serpents and dragons which have been recently redecorated with glass mosaic pieces which are just stunning in the sun - the photos really don't do them justice.
Directly across the street is a Burmese Buddhist temple - Dhammikarama Burmese Temple. Its the first Buddhist temple in Penang apparently dating from early 19th century.
The Sima Shrine Hall at the centre houses a number of large standing Buddhas, the main one is carved from marble and cloaked in gold and towers over the prayer hall. In an annex behind there is a row of smaller standing figures representing the various countries within the region who practice Buddhism.
There is a pond and brightly painted wall mural which I read depicts Prince Siddhartha Gotams's rununciation of worldy desires and his search for enlightenment. But you can probably work that out yourselves from the photos .....
I found this temple a bit gaudy and fairground-like ... best way I can describe it. The gardens were attractive but with a lot of shrubbery masking some of the things I would have like to photograph so short of shimmying up trees of views were restricted. The photos are a random selection.
We sat in the shade eating ice creams to cool down before heading 'home'. I had a mint flavoured one but David bravely opted to try Durian flavour. Durian fruit is much loved by the Chinese/Malays. It smells so horrible that the fruit cannot be carried on public transport or taken into hotel rooms. Apparently if you can get past the smell, the fruit is very tasty. I tried many years ago in Singapore but couldn't acquire the taste.
Then back to the hotel to freshen up.
David wanted 'Malay' food tonight and our hotel Manageress recommended a local Nyonya restaurant. The word nyona describes the Peranakans who were descendants of Chinese immigrants who settled into Indonesia and parts of Malaysia. They intermarried and developed their own style of cooking
Having got there David looked at the restricted menu and said he didn't really fancy any of it so he let me decide. I skipped all the veggie stuff, including the 'stinky beans' and ordered 3 dishes which all turned out to be lovely and he enjoyed the meal!
