Sri Rajakaliamman Glass Temple (Arulmigu Sri Rajakaliamman Glass Temple) is a Hindu temple in Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia. It is also one of the tourist attractions of this country. The temple, one of Johor Bahru’s oldest Hindu temples, is situated next to the railway tracks between Jalan Tun Abdul Razak and Jalan Mohd Taib (or close to the Tebrau Highway).
The temple was completed construction in 1922 and rebuilt in 1996 due to some problems and limited area. Sri Sinnathamby Sivasamy, the current temple chairman and chief priest, also known as Guru Bhagawan Sittar is one in charge of rebuilding the temple.
The Guru had the inspiration to rebuild the temple in glass during one of his trips to Bangkok. He was in a tuk-tuk in Bangkok when he saw a light shining like a diamond, some 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) away. The driver told him that it was a wat (temple). When he went there, he found that it was the glass artwork at the temple entrance that had caught his eyes.
He was amazed that a small glass artwork could capture his attention from a vast distance. This inspired him to use this technique in the Arulmigu Sri Rajakaliamman Temple. He believed a temple fully embellished with impressive glass artwork will attract local devotees and visitors from the world over. Transformation of the temple with glass fittings started in 2008 and was completed in October 2009.
Today, the Arulmigu Sri Rajakaliamman Glass Temple looks just like any other Hindu temple from the outside. But head inside, and you’ll be bedazzled by the spectacle of its interior walls.
Almost every inch of the temple’s surface is inlaid with glass mosaics – over 300,000 pieces of red, blue, yellow, green, purple and white glass, to be precise. Spot pillars, walls, and ceilings all fully embellished with gleaming mosaic glasses – which are said to be imported from Japan, Belgium, and Thailand – that create a festival of bewitching lights.
In the Athma Lingam Sanctuary within the fully air-conditioned temple, there are also 300,000 mukhi Rudraksha beads from Nepal that grace the walls. Each and every bead have been meticulously embedded with the chanting of prayers.
The fully air-conditioned temple has a café that serves vegetarian meals for special events, and a function hall in an adjoining building.
As a symbol of respect to other religions, this Hindu temple has 10 white marble statues that represent figures from different religions – including depictions of Gautama Buddha, Jesus Christ, and Mother Teresa. There are also large mural paintings that convey a universal message of social and racial harmony.
The temple, located in 22 Lorong 1, Jalan Tebrau, Johor Baru, is accessible through Jalan Tun Abdul Razak and the lane that borders Gim Shew Building. Car and coach parking is available and there’s also a shoe storage service. It is open for devotees from 7am to 10pm daily, while visiting hours for tourists are between 1pm and 5pm.
According to Wikipedia and thesmartlocal.my
