 Penangites are on the whole a superstitious, god-fearing
and religious lot. This tendency, and the multiracial population has given
rise to a very cosmopolitan spiritual form. Mosques, Taoist and Buddhist
temples, Indian and Sikh temples, Burmese shrines, Thai wats and churches
of different denominations dot the streets of Penang.
Acheen Street Mosque,
Lebuh Acheen
Also known as Masjid
Melayu, the mosque was built on land donated by Syed Sheriff Tengku Syed
Hussain Aidid who came from Acheh in Sumatera. This 1820 mosque at Lebuh
Acheen features a small window halfway up the minerat which is said to have
originally been a hole made by cannonball fired during the 1867 triad riots.
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Church of the Holy Name of Jesus,
Balik
Pulau
Antique stained glass from Belgium
and a tenor bell from France are just two of the several unique features
found in a legendary and historical church. Click
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Dharmikarama Burmese Temple,
Lorong
Burmah
A pair of elephants guard the
entrance to this Burmese temple at Lorong Burma. within the pagoda grounds
is a Boddhi tree and a wishing pond. It is the scene of many festivities
during the water festival in April.
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 Kapitan Kling Mosque,
Jalan Kapitan
Keling
Named after
the Indian Muslim merchant, the “Kapitan Keling” (headman) Caudeer
Mohudeen who built it in the early 19th century. It features an ocher yellow
facade and dome-shaped minaret reflecting Moorish Islamic influence.
Tourists should be properly
attired when entering the mosque.
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Kek Lok Si Temple,
Ayer
Itam
 Perhaps the
finest Buddhist temple in South East Asia, the Kek Lok Si temple stands
majestically on a hill in Ayer Itam. Construction began in 1893 and was completed
in 1905. Built in tiers, the beautifully crafted “Pagoda of Ten Thousand
Buddhas” took more than 20 years to build and was only completed in
1930.
It combines a Chinese octagonal
base, middle tiers of Thai architecture and a Burmese crown, reflecting the
temple’s wide embrace of Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism.
The temple also features
gardens, a turtle pond, shrines and beautiful sculptures. This is one of
Penang’s most popular attractions.
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 Khoo Kongsi,
Cannon
Square
Probably
Penang’s most picturesque building, the Khoo Kongsi is made up of two
buildings on opposite sides to each other. One building serves as the ancestral
temple while the other is used for staging plays and operas.
The Khoo Kongsi is meant
only for members of the Leong San Tong (Dragon Mountain Hall) clan, whose
forefathers came from Sin Kang village in Hokkien province, China. Construction
of the Khoo Kongsi started in 1894 and took eight years to complete.
Its original design was
very elaborate meant to capture the splendour of the Chinese imperial palace.
Its seven-tiered pavilion, dragon pillars and hand-painted walls engraved
with the Khoo emblem was thought to have even outshone the imperial palace
itself.
On the first night of its
completion, the Khoo Kongsi caught fire and many said it was because the
gods were unhappy with the scale of its grandeur. It was then rebuilt on
a smaller scale but it still retains the distinctive architecture of the
master craftsmen from China.
 Kuan Yin (Goddess
of Mercy) Temple, Jalan
Kapitan
Keling
Known as the
Temple of the Goddess of Mercy, this popular Taoist temple is located close
to the Kapitan Kling Mosque on Jalan Kapitan Keling (formerly Pitt Street).
Believed to be the oldest temple in Penang, it was built in the 1800s by
early Chinese settlers.
Kuan Yin was a being who
had actually attained Nirvana but stayed behind to save those souls who did
not escaped the world of suffering.
The temple is also dedicated
to Ma Chor Poh, the virgin goddess of mercy and saint to sea voyagers. The
high roof of the main hall is supported by dragon-entwined pillars carved
from a type of green stone. The statue of Kuan Yin as a serenely composed
woman with 18 arms sits on an inner chamber.
Nattukotai Temple,
Jalan Air
Terjun
This temple at Jalan Air Terjun is
dedicated to the deity, Bala Subramaniam, and features prominently during
the annual Taipusam festival when thousands of devotees throung its premises
for the various rites and ceremonies.
Penang State Mosque,
Jalan Ayer
Itam
The Penang State
Mosque at Jalan Masjid Negeri features elegant modern architecture and took
four years to complete. It can accommodate 5,000 worshippers for congregational
prayers and is usually packed on Fridays. Permission to enter must be obtained
from the State Religious department, Lebuh Pantai. Visitors must dress
appropriately and remove their shoes before entering.
Snake Temple,
Bayan Lepas
The Snake Temple
was built in 1850 in memory of the Buddhist priest, Choo Sor Kong, who is
said to have healing powers. Legend, however, has it that the place used
to be the home of a religious man who gave shelter to poisonous snakes when
they sought refuge there. After his death, the snakes remained and it became
a place of worship.
Also known as Temple of
Azure Cloud, the serpents’ shrine is an extraordinary one: poisonous
pit vipers busk on altars, incense burners, candlesticks, vases and tables,
underfoot and overhead. Recommended for the intrepid visitors.
 Sri Mariamman
Temple, Lebuh
Queen
Penang’s
oldest Hindu temple which was built in 1883, is filled with colourful statues
of Hindu deities. Among the priceless possessions of this ornate building
is a statue of Lord Subramaniam richly decorated with gold, silver, diamonds
and emeralds. During Thaipusam festival, the statue is taken on a chariot
procession by Hindu devotees.
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St. Anne’s Church,
Bukit
Mertajam
From a small
chapel built atop a hillock by visiting priest Fr. Adolphe Couellan in 1846,
it grew to become a center of pilgrimage in the region. Hence a bigger church
was built next to the old one, now called the Shrine. The dedication of the
new church with its multi-tiered Minangkabau roofs and Gothic architecture
was held on the 26 July 2002.
The church was named after
St Anne, mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and has a sitting capacity of
1,800. Celebrations are held on a grand scale annually in conjunction with
the annual St Anne's Feast (in the month of July) which is usually followed
by two nights of candelight procession by thousands of devotees at the church
grounds.
St. George’s Church,
Lebuh
Farquhar
Built with convict
labor in 1818, the Anglican Church was named after the patron saint of England,
and is one of the region’s oldest.
The Greek temple in the
church grounds is a memorial to Francis Light. Today, church goers still
flock to the church for service and it remains virtually unchanged.
 Wat
Chayamankalaram, Lorong
Burmah
The world’s
third largest reclining Buddha which measures 33 metres in length, is draped
in gold-leafed saffron and reclines on a large crematorium.
This Buddhist temple is
reminiscent of Bangkok’s many wats. The intricate finish of the interior
in vibrant colours and designs is a sample of Thai architecture.
Behind the temple is a small
Thai village as well as a Thai cemetery. At this temple, the local Thais
celebrate the traditional Buddhist festivals, the Sonkran and the Loy
Krathong.
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