Over a period of time culture and tradition of India has spread across to the neighboring nations and the flavors of our tradition can be seen in many parts of the world. The major influence of Hindu culture and its traditions can be witnessed in the South East Asian nations.
Today, we shall travel through the 5 most famous Hindu temples in South East Asia.
1. ANGKOR WAT,CAMBODIA
Built in the early 12th century by King Suryavarman II of Khmer kingdom, Angkor wat means “the capital temple”. Earlier this temple was dedicated to Lord Vishnu and was named “Varaha Vishnu Lok”. This temple is built in a way that it represents the Meru Parvat {the meru home},the home of devas as mentioned in Hindu mythology and scriptures.
2.MURUGAN TEMPLE,BATU CAVES,MALAYSIA
With one of the tallest Lord Murugan statue outside India, this is located at Batu caves about 13 kms from Kuala Lumpur. This is said to be constructed by a Tamil trader back in 1980’s and over the time has become the most popular tourist destinations. The most famous Kerala festive Thaipoosam is also celebrated in this temple arena.
3.PARAMBAN TEMPLE,JAVA,INDONESIA
The only temple dedicated to the Trimurti( Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva),Paramban temple is the second largest Hindu temple in south east Asia. Locally, it is called Jonggrang. The characteristic of this temple is its tall pointed architecture, typical to Hindu architectures. This temple has been renounced as the UNESCO world heritage since 1991.
4.MARIAMMAN TEMPLE,HO CHI MINH, VITENAM
Built in the 19th century by Indian merchants, this temple is dedicated to the rain goddess “Mariamman”.This is the only Hindu temple in the city and is said to be one miraculous places that brings good luck and wealth to its visitors.
5.SRI VEERAMAKALIAMMAN,SINGAPORE
Located in the center of Little India, this is one of the oldest temples in Singapore. This temple was built by the first Indian immigrants to Singapore. The temple is dedicated to the goddess and destroyer of evil, Sri Veeramakaliamman or Kali. With intricate carvings and statues, the temple remains one of the most worshipped places in Singapore.