Kek Lok Temple
The Kek Lok Temple ( Hokkien : Kek Lok Si , abbreviations极乐寺; traditional characters :極樂寺, Pinyin Jile sì, W.-G .: Chi-le Ssu. ) Is a Sino-Buddhist worship in Air Itam , a Suburb of George Town on Penang Island . It is one of the largest temples of its kind in all of Southeast Asia and is considered the largest Buddhist temple in Malaysia. His name can be translated as "Temple of Supreme Happiness".
Both the architecture and the activities of the believers reveal a merging of Buddhist beliefs with Daoist rituals and fortune-telling.
history
The construction of the temple began in 1890, it was inaugurated after more than twenty years of construction. In 1930 the pagoda of 10,000 Buddhas was completed, which remained the defining structure of the complex for several decades. Extensive donations, especially from the entrepreneurially successful Chinese population in Malaysia, made it possible to expand the facility further, which has not yet been completed.
In this sense, the Kek Lok Si is a temple whose construction phase is still ongoing. In 2002 a 30 m high bronze statue was inaugurated, which together with the pagoda has a lasting impact on the appearance of the temple. From 2005 to 2009 a pavilion was built to protect the statue. The elaborate construction rests on 16 so-called dragon columns adorned with reliefs and consists of three concentric octagonal roofs. The inauguration of the new building took place on December 6, 2009.
The Kek Lok Si today
As a rule, the visitor approaches the temple through elongated walkways that offer space for numerous shops (with an often very secular offer). He also passes a so-called Liberation Pond , a pond in which turtles were released into a (albeit limited) freedom in order to improve their own karma .
Several large halls of worship follow, which are used to worship Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and popular Chinese deities. In addition to the statues, some of which are gilded, there are half-reliefs, chains of lanterns and elaborate wooden constructions that are decorated with pictures and abstract paintings.
The Pagoda of Ten Thousand Buddhas is a seven-story, 30-meter-high building that combines architectural styles from various Buddhist countries: the base is considered Chinese, the central structure borrowed from Thai and the top from Burmese architecture.
An elevator takes visitors for a fee of RM 16 (approx. 3 euros) to a raised platform where there is a pond with numerous Koi carp and finally the statue of Kuan Yin . This can be interpreted as the goddess of grace, but also as the bodhisattva of compassion.
Special celebrations
The temple is the focus of numerous festivals of the Chinese people in Penang. The Chinese New Year celebrations are particularly impressive : for a period of 30 days, the temple remains open until late in the evening and is transformed into a unique sea of lights by several thousand lamps.
swell
- Lonely Planet Malaysia, Singapore & Brunei . 9th edition. January 2004, ISBN 1-74059-357-X .
- http://www.virtualmalaysia.com/destination/kek%20lok%20si%20temple.html
- http://www.asiaexplorers.com/malaysia/kekloksi_temple.htm
Web links
Coordinates: 5 ° 23 ′ 54 ″ N , 100 ° 16 ′ 23 ″ E