By Lian Cheng
KUCHING, Dec 14: The new Sri Maha Mariamman Temple, which will commence construction early next year, will be the tallest Hindu temple in Borneo and the second tallest in Malaysia.
It will also be the most beautiful temple in Borneo, claimed Sri Maha Mariamman Temple Association Kuching president Shankar R P Asnani who is very confident that the temple upon completion will be a landmark structure in Sarawak and one that will bring pride to Sarawakians.
One of the main features of the temple will be the Raja Gopuram to be installed at the main tower to the temple entrance. It will be a spectacular and majestic monument which calls for admiration from both the Hindu and the non-Hindu communities.
“It will be six-storey tall and will weigh 600 tonnes. The Raja Gopuram is a very important component of a Hindu temple, the higher the Raja Gopuram, the more powerful it is for the leader of a state,” he told a press conference today.
Shankar pointed out that Hindu temple architecture is a highly developed science in which the structure is not a mere art but science of complex calculation involving physical and metaphysical elements.
To the Hindus, the architectural style of a temple is also a symbol of power in which the Hindu community believed that it will affect the emergence and the fall of a reign, and thus the fate of the top leader of a state.
“We believe the building of a Hindu temple will affect the fate or fortune of Sarawak and the leader of the state. It has to be built in such a way that all involved will be blessed. It cannot be built simply.
“We have to make sure that the temple will bring good fengshui to Sarawak and that it is a source of blessings. When a temple is properly built, whoever holds their weddings in the temple will have a successful and everlasting marriage,” he emphasised.
Penghulu Lucy Lingam was present at the press conference, giving her blessings for the building of the temple.— DayakDaily
