The Arulmigu Sri Mahamariamman Temple is the oldest Hindu temple in Penang, founded in 1833 by Tamil immigrants and rebuilt in its present form in 1933. It sits at the heart of Little India on Queen Street and is dedicated to Mariamman, the South Indian mother goddess associated with rain, healing and protection. The 19th-century statue of Mariamman in the temple's inner sanctum is said to be encrusted with gold, silver, diamonds and emeralds.
The temple is at its most spectacular from the street: the gopuram (the carved entrance tower) is a six-storey wedding cake of brightly painted figures from the Hindu pantheon, repainted regularly so the colours stay vivid. Inside, the main hall is filled with smaller shrines, statues, the constant aroma of incense and ghee lamps, and the rhythm of bells and prayers. The temple is the focal point of the annual Thaipusam pilgrimage in January-February, when devotees pierce themselves with skewers and pull kavadi shrines through the streets to Penang's hilltop Murugan temple.
Open dawn to evening; modest dress and bare feet expected.