Malaysia's Murugan Waterfall Temple Rennaissance
And His dedicated team of volunteers
Mr. Mani, Thigambaram, Rajiv Malik
For millennia, the ritual temple culture of the Saiva Agama scriptures spread from South India across Southeast Asia. In Malaysia and Singapore an authentic, Agamic culture of Hindu temple worship thrives, vigorous and unchanged, into the 21st century. This is due to the Tamil community's dedication to their traditions and their robust relationship and interchange with India's traditional priesthoods, temple architects and craftsmen. No doubt every one of Malaysia's hundreds of temples, in fact any Hindu temple, has tales about sacrifice and the spiritual power of the Gods that inspires Hindus to forge holy places to invoke grace from the heavenly realms. This is one of those stories--that of the famous Sri Balathandayuthapani Waterfall Temple of Penang. The recent rebirth of this temple and the achievements of its volunteer group, the Sri Balathandayuthapani Youth Organization (SBYO), offer testimony to the power of surrender to one's chosen Deity.