Arulmigu Bahayuthapani Temple

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INTRODUCTION

The Arulmigu Balathandayuthapani Temple, better known as the Waterfall Hill Temple or ‘Thaneer Malai’ by locals, is a temple located in George Town, Penang. The main deity of this temple is Murugan. Visitors need to climb 513 stairs to reach the temple. It is the focal point of the Hindu festival of Thaipusam in Malaysia, after the Batu Caves. The hilltop temple, with its seven-storey 21.6m-tall main tower, has been touted as the largest Lord Murugan temple outside India. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE

The grand consecration ceremony of the newly completed Arulmigu Balathandayuthapani temple was held on 29 June 2012. Built at a cost of 10 million ringgit, this temple is said to be the largest Murugan temple outside India.The timeline of the temple :
1800 - The shrine located at the base of the great Waterfall within the current Penang Botanic Gardens became the focal point of Thaipusam Festival
1856 - The earliest known view of the temple at the base of the waterfall through a painting done by Captain Charles Henry …show more content…

The RM10 million cost temple was built to accommodate the growing numbers of devotees, especially during Thaipusam Celebrations. An architect from India, along with 19 temple builders and artisans, spent four years hand-sculpting the temple's designs on site. The outcome: a beautifully decorated prayer hall, and an intricate 7-storey main tower, almost identical to ancient temples in South India.Devotees and visitors need to climb over 500 steps to get to the temple, which makes the temple higher than the one in Batu Caves. Although this may sound like a daunting feat, the breathtaking view on top is worth the effort.Half way to the top, visitors will arrive at the old Lord Murugan temple, which was built in 1850. This is the former main venue for Thaipusam celebrations

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