Wat Chayamangkalaram ( th, วัดไชยมังคลาราม; ) (also called as the Chayamangkalaram Buddhist Temple) is a Thai temple in

Pulau Tikus Pulau Tikus is a northwestern suburb of George Town in Penang, Malaysia. Situated between the city centre and Tanjung Tokong, this upper class suburb was named after a rock just off the coast of Penang Island. It is home to small minorities of ...

suburb of George Town, Penang,

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

. Situated in Kelawei Road, the temple located close to the Dhammikarama Burmese Temple. It is the oldest

Malaysian Siamese The Malaysian Siamese or Thai Malaysians are an ethnicity or community who principally resides in Peninsular Malaysia which is a relatively homogeneous cultural region to Southern Burma and Southern Thailand but was separated by the Anglo-Siam ...

temple in the state. The temple became a focal point for the annual Siamese

Songkran Songkran is a term derived from the Sanskrit word, ' (or, more specifically, ') and used to refer to the traditional New Year celebrated in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, parts of northeast India, parts of Vietnam an ...

and

Loi Krathong Loy Krathong ( th, ลอยกระทง, , ) is a Thai festival celebrated annually throughout Thailand and in nearby countries with significant South Western Tai cultures (Laos, Shan, Mon, Tanintharyi, Kelantan, Kedah, and Xishuangbanna) ...

festivals within the city suburb and for the city yearly Buddha Day procession.

History

The site for the temple was cleared in 1795 after a piece of land was granted to both Burmese and Siamese community in George Town by

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 her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previo ...

during the Straits Settlements era. In 1830, there were around 648 Burmese and Siamese people in Penang, which then had a population of 40,000. Part of the land awarded to the Siamese was given as a diplomatic gesture to promote trading ties between the

British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts e ...

and the Siamese Rattanakosin Kingdom, which was presented by the then-

Governor of the Straits Settlements The governor of the Straits Settlements was appointed by the British East India Company until 1867, when the Straits Settlements became a Crown colony. Thereafter the governor was appointed by the Colonial Office. The position existed from 1826 ...

William John Butterworth Major-General William John Butterworth (10 June 1801 – 4 November 1856) was the governor of the Straits Settlements from August 1843 to 21 March 1855. In 1851, when the Straits Settlements were transferred from the authority of the Gover ...

to two Siamese female trustees named Nankayo and Boonsoon as the community representatives. Inscriptions also showed that the building of the temple had been largely due to the

philanthropic Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material ...

efforts of local Chinese Buddhists. In 1845, the temple was founded in the given land by Phra Phorthan Kuad, a powerful

monk A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedica ...

which according to the local legend was also very fond of ''

asam laksa Laksa is a spicy noodle dish popular in Southeast Asia. Laksa consists of various types of noodles, most commonly thick rice noodles, with toppings such as chicken, prawn or fish. Most variations of laksa are prepared with a rich and spicy co ...

''. Subsequently, making the dish become a normal offering by devotees when visiting his

shrine A shrine ( la, scrinium "case or chest for books or papers"; Old French: ''escrin'' "box or case") is a sacred or holy space dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, daemon, or similar figure of respect, wherein they ...

in the temple. In 1948, the temple was officially named "Wat Chayamangkalaram". Since its establishment, the temple has undergone several renovations, with the addition of other structures. A reclining Buddha statue named ''Phra Chaiya Mongkol'' was constructed in the temple in 1958 with a total cost of M$100,000 (

Malayan dollar The Malayan dollar ( Malay: ''ringgit'', Jawi: رڠڬيت) was the currency of the British colonies and protectorates in Malaya and Brunei until 1953. It was introduced in 1939, replacing the Straits dollar at par, with 1 dollar = two shillings ...

s). In 1962, the temple was visited by the King of Thailand,

Bhumibol Adulyadej Bhumibol Adulyadej ( th, ภูมิพลอดุลยเดช; ; ; (Sanskrit: ''bhūmi·bala atulya·teja'' - "might of the land, unparalleled brilliance"); 5 December 192713 October 2016), conferred with the title King Bhumibol the Great ...

and Queen

Sirikit Queen Sirikit ( th, สิริกิติ์; ; ); born ''Mom Rajawongse'' Sirikit Kitiyakara ( th, สิริกิติ์ กิติยากร; ; 12 August 1932) is the queen mother of Thailand. She was Queen of Thailand as the wif ...

as part of their state visit to Malaya.

Features

The temple features one of the world's longest

reclining Buddha A reclining Buddha is an image that represents Buddha lying down and is a major iconographic theme in Buddhist art. It represents the historical Buddha during his last illness, about to enter the parinirvana. He is lying on his right side, his hea ...

statues as well as several coloured statues of

Yaksha The yakshas ( sa, यक्ष ; pi, yakkha, i=yes) are a broad class of nature-spirits, usually benevolent, but sometimes mischievous or capricious, connected with water, fertility, trees, the forest, treasure and wilderness. They appear in ...

s and other mythical creatures. Measuring from to from end to end, the statue also serves as a

columbarium A columbarium (; pl. columbaria) is a structure for the reverential and usually public storage of funerary urns, holding cremated remains of the deceased. The term can also mean the nesting boxes of pigeons. The term comes from the Latin "''colu ...

, in which the

urn An urn is a vase, often with a cover, with a typically narrowed neck above a rounded body and a footed pedestal. Describing a vessel as an "urn", as opposed to a vase or other terms, generally reflects its use rather than any particular shape or ...

s of the cremated are housed. Several smaller 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 tradition, he was born in L ...

in various poses and of the Devas can be seen throughout the temple, particularly adorning the main prayer hall.

Gallery

File:Wat Chayamangkalaram in the 1900s.jpg, The temple '' stupa'' structure, File:Bouddha couché du temple Thai de Penang.jpg,

Reclining Buddha A reclining Buddha is an image that represents Buddha lying down and is a major iconographic theme in Buddhist art. It represents the historical Buddha during his last illness, about to enter the parinirvana. He is lying on his right side, his hea ...

statue inside the temple which is considered one of the world's longest. File:Penang Malaysia Wat-Chaiya-Mangkalaram-Temple-02.jpg, Statue of Devas guarding the temple. File:Penang Malaysia Wat-Chaiya-Mangkalaram-Temple-04.jpg,

Urn An urn is a vase, often with a cover, with a typically narrowed neck above a rounded body and a footed pedestal. Describing a vessel as an "urn", as opposed to a vase or other terms, generally reflects its use rather than any particular shape or ...

s where the cremated are being housed.

References

External links

* {{Malaysian historical architectures and sites Religious buildings and structures completed in 1845 1845 establishments in the Straits Settlements Buddhist temples in Malaysia Religious buildings and structures in Penang Tourist attractions in George Town, Penang Overseas Thai Buddhist temples Thai Theravada Buddhist temples and monasteries 19th-century Buddhist temples