The 111-year-old temple is located at Jalan Ungku Puan, Johor Baru. — Photos: THOMAS YONG/The Star
TO fund its expenses, Arulmigu Rajamariamman Devasthanam Hindu Temple rents out shop lots and stalls.
The temple-owned lots at the junction of Jalan Ungku Puan and Jalan Trus in Johor Baru sell garlands, fashion accessories, Indian sweets, Indian cosmetics as well as traditional Indian apparel and tailoring services.
Temple management committee president V. Raja Selan said the movement control order (MCO), imposed to stem the spread of Covid-19, had affected the temple’s income.
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“Prior to the pandemic, our collection of monthly rental from the 13 shop lots and 13 stalls was RM65,000,” he said.
During the first MCO that began on March 18, 2020, the temple management committee waived the rent for the lots for three months.
Subsequently, it collected RM1,000 rental until May 2020 before raising it progressively to RM2,000 last July.
Raja Selan said the committee would revert to the pre-pandemic rental rate of RM2,500 starting next year.
When the monthly collection declined during the pandemic, he said the temple also adopted cost-cutting measures.
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Instead of two chief priests, only one was on duty along with an assistant priest, while the general workers were down to seven from 14.
The temple also reduced the purchase of prayer materials since houses of worship were off limits to devotees that year.
“Singaporean devotees make up about 70% of our devotees but they could not visit the temple since the border with the republic was closed,” said Raja Selan, adding that they started returning when the country reopened its international borders on April 1.
The temple located in Jalan Ungku Puan, in downtown Johor Baru, is also visited by Malaysian devotees before they travel to Singapore for work or when they return.
“Our opening hours are now back to normal from 5.30am to 9pm since Malaysia began transitioning to the endemic phase in April,” said Raja Selan.
He disclosed that the temple received a RM30,000 one-off grant from the Johor government to assist with its expenses during the pandemic.
“Businesses in Jalan Trus and Jalan Ungku Puan are getting better with the presence of local and Singaporean customers,” he said.
Separately, he welcomed the new Johor Baru City Council (MBJB) parking bays located near the temple’s entrance.
“We expect the number of devotees to increase now that there are more parking spaces,” he said.
The Arulmigu Rajamariamman Devasthanam Temple was founded by community leader Kootha Perumal Vandayar, who wanted a place of worship for the Hindus in Johor Baru.
In the early 1900s, he approached Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Abu Bakar, who gave a 0.4ha of land as well as some cash on March 22, 1911, to build the temple.
In honour of the donation, the word “Raja” was added to the temple’s name, as the temple was originally known as the Mariamman Temple.
The 111-year-old temple is located at Jalan Ungku Puan, Johor Baru. — Photos: THOMAS YONG/The Star
Raja Selan (left) with traders at the flower shops located outside the Arulmigu Rajamariamman Devasthanam Hindu Temple.
