Keeping their shine and sparkle

Stunning: It took half-a-million glass pieces and dozens of skilled artisans to transform the Arulmigu Sri Rajakaliamman Temple into an iconic building in the Wadi Hana district in Johor Baru. — THOMAS YONG/The Star

A CENTURY ago, the Arulmigu Sri Rajakaliamman Temple was merely a small hut known only to local devotees, mostly those living in the Johor Baru area.

Over the years, the temple located in the Wadi Hana district has slowly grown both in size and design, and has found fame as the “glass temple”.

It was listed in the Malaysia Book of Records in 2010 as the first glass temple in the country.

Temple treasurer S. Maheshwara, 23, said his late grandfather, A. Sivasamany, started construction of the temple’s brick structure in 1996 while his father, S. Sinnathamby, turned it into a glass temple in 2009.

“My grandfather, who was an ambulance driver, wanted the community to have a comfortable place to perform their prayers.

“Apart from using his own money, he also received generous donations from devotees and the public to improve the temple.”

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Maheshwara said that when his father took over as temple chairman, he was inspired to change the building’s appearance after a trip to Thailand.

There, he had visited a temple with gleaming glasswork at its entrance that was visible even from a distance, leaving him entranced by its beauty.

“Upon his return, he began collecting funds to embellish the temple with glasswork,” Maheshwara said in an interview with StarMetro.

It took RM2.4mil, some 500,000 pieces of glass, dozens of skilled craftsmen and about two years to transform the building into the now iconic glass temple.

“It wasn’t easy for my father, a teacher, to make his vision a reality but he persevered.

“Besides forking out his own money, he also went around the country collecting donations.

“It was difficult to come up with a design as there was no example to replicate. So it was all based on imagination and ideas,” Maheshwara recalled.

He said that after the building’s transformation, it started receiving international visitors, including journalists.

“It did not take long for people to notice the glass temple once it was completed.

“Many found out about the unique temple by word of mouth or from articles published in local and foreign magazines.

“Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, the temple had its doors open to the public from morning until night.

“Unfortunately, we were unable to accept visitors over the past two years because of the pandemic, but prayer services continued to be held inside,” he said.

“Now visitors from around the world are once again flocking to see the temple,” he said, adding that they open to visitors in the morning and close between noon and 6pm.

The temple is renovated every 12 years as part of its kumbhabhishekam or consecration ceremony.

“We had to postpone it because of the pandemic but now that things have improved slightly, the temple is embarking on replacing existing glass pieces on its walls with new ones.

“Due to inflation and the rising labour costs, the funds needed for the renovation have increased dramatically and we expect to spend about RM4mil.

“We decided to remove the glass pieces from the exterior of the temple as the colours fade easily after being exposed to the elements. We will also replace glass pieces in the interior.

“We are currently seeking donations and sponsors for the temple renovation,” said Maheshwara.

Home to clan deities

Another historical building in the district is the Johor Baru Ancient Chinese temple that has been around for over 150 years.

It is seen as a symbol of unity among the five Chinese clans – Hakka, Teochew, Hokkien, Cantonese and Hainanese.

A tour guide telling visitors about the Johor Baru Ancient Chinese Temple at Jalan Trus in Johor Baru.

Johor Baru Tiong Hua Association president Ho Sow Tong said that while the temple had gone through renovations over the years, the structure of the building in Jalan Trus had remained the same.

“We spend a few hundred thousand ringgit every few years to maintain the temple, but mostly for repairs and minor renovations.

“The last major repairs were done three years ago with the money coming from donations.

“We try not to do any major renovations, in order to retain the original structure.

“It is a very important building for the Chinese community in Johor and is also the home of the five Chinese clans’ deities,” he added.

Ho said the Chingay Festival, observed annually from the 19th to 22nd day of the Lunar New Year, was the busiest time for the temple.

“On the second day of Chingay, the deities are brought to the Xing Gong temple for a night before the procession and they are returned to the temple the following day.

“That is the only time in a year that they leave the temple,” he said, adding that Chingay is a very special occasion not only for the Chinese community but all people of Johor.

Ho noted that since Malaysia’s borders reopened, the temple was once again receiving visitors from all around the world, especially Singaporeans.

“Currently, we have three workers manning the temple and volunteers come from time to time to help out,” he said.

Buildings standing strong

Apart from temples, Johor Baru is also known for old shops that have remained intact over the decades.

They have been used for hip new cafes as well as to house old businesses.

Salahuddin Bakery is one of the long-standing businesses housed in the city’s old shophouses. Tahzibun Nesa Salahuddin is seen here taking out a fresh batch of bread from the wood-fire oven.

Among the long-standing businesses in such shops here is Salahuddin Bakery, which has been around for over 80 years and is currently run by third-generation baker Salahuddin Shamsul.

Salahuddin, 58, said, “We have a loyal clientele who have grown up eating our cakes and pastries.”

The family-run bakery is in Jalan Dhoby in downtown Johor Baru.

“As it is a rented property, we cannot really do much to renovate the building but we continue to maintain it.

“The building may be old but it is still standing strong.

“Most importantly, it is nostalgic for customers who grew up in Johor Baru and regularly visit the bakery.

“Now that the border is reopened, we once again see customers coming from abroad who like to take photos with our wood-fire oven, which has been in use since 1937,” said Salahuddin.