, image = Mahavihara brickfields.jpg , caption = Front view of the temple gate , location =

Brickfields A brickfield is an open site where bricks are made. Place names are often formed from the word. Brickfield, Brickfields, or Brickfielder may also refer to: Australia * Brickfielder, an arid wind * Brickfield Hill, an area of Sydney * Brickfields ...

Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur (KL), officially the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, is the capital city and a Federal Territories of Malaysia, federal territory of Malaysia. It is the largest city in the country, covering an area of with a census population ...

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Buddhism Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

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, country =

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

, administration=Sasana Abhiwurdhi Wardhana Society, founded_by = Patthalagedera Dhammananda Thera , established = 1895 , architecture_type = Sri Lankan temple , functional_status=Active, leadership=Ven Datuk

Kirinde Sri Dhammaratana Kirinde Sri Dhammaratana (born 24 July 1948) is a Sri Lanka-born Buddhism, Buddhist monk and the incumbent Buddhist Chief High Priest of Malaysia, since the passing of his predecessor in 2006. Early life Like his predecessor, he was born in the ...

, Buddhist Chief High Priest of Malaysia, governing_body=Malaysian Buddhist Consultative Council, patron=Ven Datuk

, website = Buddhist Maha Vihara () (also called as the Brickfields Buddhist Temple) is a Sri Lankan temple situated in

. The temple became a focal point for the annual Wesak festival within the city suburb.

History

After the establishment of the first Sinhalese temple in 1889 in Taiping, Perak, a second temple was proposed by the Sinhalese community in 1894 to be construct in an area within the administration capital of Kuala Lumpur where large numbers of their community civil servants are living and working. Facing financial difficulties to acquire a land, the community then appeal to the British government through English engineer C.E. Spooner a close ally of the Sinhalese community. The

British government His Majesty's Government, abbreviated to HM Government or otherwise UK Government, is the central government, central executive authority of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

responded to the request but said any land in the administration capital intended for public service can only be granted towards an organisation. After a thorough discussion among the Sinhalese community, they agreed to form an organisation called the ''Sāsana Abhiwurdhi Wardhana Society'' which was also responsible to resolve

social issue A social issue is a problem that affects many people within a society. It is a group of common problems in present-day society that many people strive to solve. It is often the consequence of factors extending beyond an individual's control. Soc ...

s among their community with a foundation stone for the temple shrine room being laid down on 25 August 1894. Through the

inaugural In government and politics, inauguration is the process of swearing a person into office and thus making that person the incumbent. Such an inauguration commonly occurs through a formal ceremony or special event, which may also include an inau ...

meeting among the community, they agreed that the appointment of the temple

abbot Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the head of an independent monastery for men in various Western Christian traditions. The name is derived from ''abba'', the Aramaic form of the Hebrew ''ab'', and means "father". The female equivale ...

should be from

British Ceylon British Ceylon (; ), officially British Settlements and Territories in the Island of Ceylon with its Dependencies from 1802 to 1833, then the Island of Ceylon and its Territories and Dependencies from 1833 to 1931 and finally the Island of Cey ...

and the temple administration would be under the Sinhalese. A living quarters was then built to house the first

monk A monk (; from , ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery. A monk usually lives his life in prayer and contemplation. The concept is ancient and can be seen in many reli ...

Patthalagedera Dhammananda Thera and his student Godagama Sobhita Thera from British Ceylon who later arrived in 1895 which also marked the foundation of the temple in the same year; despite the structure was only completed in the first decade of the 20th century. Although the temple management is controlled by the Sinhalese, a donor list published by the temple management showed that local Chinese Buddhists also donated money during the temple

construction Construction are processes involved in delivering buildings, infrastructure, industrial facilities, and associated activities through to the end of their life. It typically starts with planning, financing, and design that continues until the a ...

; the largest donation coming from Chinese Kapitan of Kuala Lumpur, Yeap Quang Seng. Since 1920, many Chinese devotees is now associated with the temple.

Features

Since its foundation the ''Sāsana Abhiwurdhi Wardhana Society'' is responsible for the administration of the temple and all activities conducted on site. Religious activities are annually organised by the society. File:Decorations at Buddhist Maha Vihara Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.jpg, Decorations at the temple during Wesak in 2006. File:Lotus Water Foundation at Buddhist Maha Vihara Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.jpg,

Lotus flower ''Nelumbo nucifera'', also known as the pink lotus, sacred lotus, Indian lotus, or simply lotus, is one of two extant taxon, extant species of aquatic plant in the Family (biology), family Nelumbonaceae. It is sometimes colloquially called a ...

decoration at the temple during Wesak in 2007.

References

News articles

External links

* * {{Malaysian historical architectures and sites Religious buildings and structures completed in 1895 Buddhist temples in Malaysia Buildings and structures in Kuala Lumpur Religious buildings and structures in Kuala Lumpur Tourist attractions in Kuala Lumpur Overseas Sri Lankan Buddhist temples Sri Lankan Theravada Buddhist temples and monasteries 19th-century Buddhist temples