KUALA LUMPUR MULTI-CULTI TOWERS AND TEMPLES:The sights and sounds of vintage and modern, in multi-culti, multi-faith Hindu, Taoist, Muslim and Buddhist Malaysia (Buddhist Pilgrimage Malaysia I)

After coming back to Thailand after the month pilgrimage in Sri Lanka, I moved eastwards to Malaysia, a country I have never visited before. I first arrived in Kuala Lumpur and was pleasantly surprised at the amazing, new, clean and AC conditioned public transport trains and metros around the city. The city was also not that crowded but still sweltering hot and difficult to move around walking without becoming drenched in sweat after half an hour or so.

In this next set of pilgrimage articles, I will be sharing my tales and stories of Buddhist Malaysian temples and sights.  In this first article, I share the multi-cultural and colourful nature of the street art and temples of the Malaysian capital city, Kuala Lumpur in the areas known as Chinatown, Little India, as well as the famous contemporary architecture of the city a more hip and artistic feel.  I also visited the famous Batu Caves, near Kuala Lumpur, with the major Hindu temple and shrines there, followed by Penang, Georgetown to see one of the biggest Buddhist temples in SE Asia, and a major pilgrimage stop for Buddhists in Singapore and Malaysia. After this, I visited Malacca, on the west coast of Malaysia, to see the Buddhist temples and sights there too.

One thing that struck me travelling around Malaysia is the lack of street harassment as a female solo traveller, almost zero street/stray dogs running around (very different from India, where you will see stray dogs everywhere you go, some of whom bite without warning or reason!) and how clean and generally safe it felt there. I did not see any public anti-social behaviour like gangs of youths, drunken people, drug addicts and there were hardly any homeless/beggars either (certainly zero child beggars). The facilities, malls, resources were clean, new and easy to navigate and use. I had some reservations about going there as a solo female traveller initially, but was pleasantly surprised. The women-only carriages in the trains and public transport to me were a sign of respect to women, who often face difficulties (harassment, even molestation) from men while travelling.  As a city Kuala Lumpur is a prime example of how religions and cultures can (and do) live peacefully and safely in close proximity, and in that respect it was ‘divine’ indeed.  There were not many foreigners I saw, unlike in Thailand, and at times I was the only white person (never mind woman) around. This often led to open stares and attention, but it was something I accepted as being in a minority there.  In any case, it was a beautiful city and the people were helpful, friendly and kind for the most part. Most people spoke good English too, unlike Thailand and Vietnam, which made it easier to navigate as a foreigner there. Local and Asian women walked around wearing shorts and cropped tops freely and so it felt reasonably liberal in that respect, with most Muslim women wearing the headscarf, rather than the full burqa.

Here is my short overview, with some photos I took of the temples and sights in Kuala Lumpur. Music? Risk it All by Malaysian pop singer, Yuna  and One Love by Bob Marley.

Chinatown (1) Sri Mahamariamman Temple (Hindu)

My first stop was Chinatown, full of Chinese restaurants and cool, hip cafes and vegetarian restaurants, the two main temples I visited there were the Buddhist and Hindu temples, both on the same street but opposite each other. The Hindu temple was colorful and vibrant, with puja rituals conducted there by Indian priests (see photos below).  The Sri Mahamariamman Temple is the oldest Hindu temple in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Founded in 1873, it is situated at the edge of Chinatown in Jalan Bandar. In 1968, a new structure was built, featuring the ornate ‘Raja Gopuram’ tower in the style of South Indian temples.

Chinatown (2) Guan Di Temple (Taoist)

Opposite the Hindu temple, is the Guan Di Temple,  or Kuala Lumpur Emperor Guan Temple. Founded in 1887 or 1888, it is one of the oldest temples in Malaysia. Standing outside the temple, one can also  see the huge Merdeka Tower 118,  a 118-story building.   At 678.9 m (2,227 ft) tall, it is the second-tallest building and structure in the world, only behind the Burj Khalifa at 828 m (2,717 ft) and the tallest in Malaysia. The Mederka 118 Tower,  which is still not yet open to go inside but a towering and impressive landmark in the city (see photos).

Little India: Buddhist Maha Vihara

The next temple visit, after Chinatown, was to visit the nearby Little India, a delightful area for Indiaphiles like myself, right next to the main train and metro station in Kuala Lumpur, KL Sentral. Full of cheap and tasty vegetarian restaurants, with delicious Masala Dosas and thalis from 1 -2 GBP (6MYR), it was a great place to spend time and eat and soak up the Indian vibes.

The main Buddhist temple there is called Buddhist Maha Vihara, a Sri Lankan temple situated in Brickfields of Kuala Lumpur, established in 1895. Here are some photos I took on my first visit there below:

Sultan Abdul Samad Jamek Mosque

Just a short walk away from Chinatown, near the River of Life and iconic Merdeka Square is one of the Islamic mosques of Kuala Lumpur, Sultan Abdul Samad Jamek. Opened in 1909, this was once the main mosque in the city. I did not go inside but here are a couple of photos I took of the exquisite architecture:

The Petronas Twin Towers: lit up in green and gold

The first evening in KL, I also went to see the other main ‘temple’ (to materialism perhaps :-)), the magnificent and famed Petronas Twin Towers.  The Petronas Towers (Menara Berkembar Petronas), are an interlinked pair of 88-story supertall skyscrapers standing at 451.9 metres (1,483 feet). From 1998 to 2004, they were officially designated as the tallest buildings in the world until they were surpassed by the completion of the Taipei 101.When I arrived there it was lit up in green and gold, like Green Tara! Here are some photos I took of it during the evening and the following day:

Creative and funky street art in Kuala Lumpur

Last but not least, I share with you some of the stunning street art in Kuala Lumpur, in particular that in  Little India and Chinatown.