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The Balathandayuthapani Temple, officially the Arulmigu Balathandayuthapani Kovil, better known as the Waterfall Hill Temple or Hill Top Murugan Temple by locals, is considered one of the oldest temples in George Town, Penang. The main deity of this temple is Murugan.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Waterfall Hilltop Temple )〕 Visitors need to climb 513 stairs to reach the temple. It is the focal point of the Hindu festival of Thaipusam in Malaysia, after the Batu Caves.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Thaipusam 2013 at the Arulmigu Balathandayuthapani Temple - The Largest Lord Murugan Temple outside of India )〕 The hilltop temple, with its seven-storey 21.6m-tall gopuram (main tower), has been touted as the largest Lord Murugan temple outside India.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Malaysian Temples )〕 ==History== According to popular belief, a sadhu (holy man) chose a spot close to the waterfalls for a shrine dedicated to Murugan. The place was called thanner malai, meaning water hill, and the deity itself was known as Thannermalaian, or "he who resides by the waterfall". By the early 1800s the shrine seems to have been the focus of the Thaipusam celebration, a festival dedicated to Lord Murugan. British records and local newspapers mention Hindu devotees' celebration of the festival. In 1850 with the increase of the local population, the British authorities decided to develop the area into a reservoir. They decided that the waterfall area and the immediate catchment area had to be protected. At the same time they did not want to upset the sentiments of the Hindu population. Therefore, they alienated an eleven-acre hillside property for the location of a proper temple. The Balathandayuthapani temple has undergone several major renovations. This is in keeping with the requirements of the Hindu religious tenets, that renovations be done for every mamangam, or 12-year cycle. Over the years, as the number of devotees and worshippers increased, the Hindu Endowments Board found that the hilltop temple could no longer accommodate the numbers. This is especially true in the past decade, with more and more visitors converging on the temple, particularly during the Thaipusam celebration. The grand consecration ceremony (Kumbabishegam) of the newly completed Arulmigu Balathandayuthapani temple was held on 29 June 2012. Built at a cost of 10 million ringgit, this temple is said to be the largest Murugan temple outside India.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Malaysian Temples )〕 The timeline of the temple : * 1800 - The shrine became the focal point of Thaipusam Festival. Shrine located nearby waterfall at Penang Botanic Gardens. * 1850 - Moved to new location. * 2012 - A new bigger temple built. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Arulmigu Balathandayuthapani Temple, Penang」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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