Sri Meenakshi Sundraeswar Temple
Waterfall Road, Penang
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Sri Meenakshi Sundraeswar Temple at Jalan Kebun Bunga is the temple of the "bottle" chettiars. It is located along Waterfall Road (Jalan Air Terjun), immediately 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. Their actual name is Ayira Vaisyar.
The Ayira Vaisyar hails from Tamil Nadu, where many of them still maintain links with relatives there. When they first arrived in Penang, the Ayira Vaisyar first settled in Victoria, Armenian, Acheen and Beach Streets. 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). What sets this 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.
Sri Meenakshi Sundraeswar Temple, Waterfall Road, Penang.
View outside the Sri Meenakshi Sundraeswar Temple.
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