Sri Meenakshi Sundraeswar Temple,
Jalan Kebun Bunga
George Town,Penang
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Sri Meenakshi Sundraeswar Temple at Jalan Kebun Bunga
is the temple of the Ayira Vaisyar Indian community. As the Ayira
Vaisyars are often involved in the bottle recycling trade, they are
often called the "bottle" chettiars. It is located directly opposite
the Nattukkottai Chettiar Temple.
The "bottle" chettiars as so known because of their involvement in the
collection and sale of used bottles and other recyclable materials.
Nevertheless their actual name is Ayira Vaisyar.
The Ayira Vaisyar hails from Tamil Nadu,
where many of them still maintain links with relatives there. They
first arrived in Penang in around 1830. Here, they settled in Victoria Street, Armenian Street, Acheen Steet and Beach Street. The Ayira Vaisyar Merchants' Association building
is along Acheen Street. In 1920, they set up a trust fund with which
they bought the piece of land on Waterfall Road to build a
community-cum-prayer hall, called a madam.
The present temple building was completed in 1989, and dedicated to the bottle chettiar's patron deity, Meenachi Amman and Sundraewarar (Siva). The consecration of the temple was carried out on 9 February 1998.
What sets the Sri Meenakshi Sundraeswar Temple as unique among Hindu temples is that all the deities of the Hindu pantheon has a place in it, to accommodate the various personal deities of the elders and donors of the community.
The present temple building was completed in 1989, and dedicated to the bottle chettiar's patron deity, Meenachi Amman and Sundraewarar (Siva). The consecration of the temple was carried out on 9 February 1998.
What sets the Sri Meenakshi Sundraeswar Temple as unique among Hindu temples is that all the deities of the Hindu pantheon has a place in it, to accommodate the various personal deities of the elders and donors of the community.
Special thanks to
< http://www.penang-traveltips.com/sri-meenakshi-sundraeswar-temple.htm>
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