The Buddhist Maha Vihara in Brickfields is the oldest and most significant Theravada Buddhist temple in Kuala Lumpur, founded in 1894 by Sri Lankan immigrants who came to work on the railway. The main hall holds a large gilded Buddha image, and the complex includes a meditation centre, a Dhamma school, and a columbarium. The temple is one of the most important in Malaysia for the Sinhalese and Theravada Buddhist communities.
Wesak Day (Buddha's birthday, usually in May) draws tens of thousands of pilgrims and a major candlelit procession through the streets. At other times the complex is calm and open to visitors — you can walk the grounds, light incense, and watch monks in saffron robes going about their day. It's a five-minute walk from KL Sentral.