முனைவர் கீதா சந்திரசேகரன் வழங்கும் மௌனத்தின் சப்தங்கள்
Dr. Geetha Chandrasekaran presents Mounathin Sapthangal (The Melody of Silence)
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WORSHIPPERS REGULARLY VISIT THIS BEAUTIFUL temple, located just under two miles away from Penang Island’s airport. However, the gorgeous place of worship has a unique catch: It’s filled with live pit vipers.
The Snake Temple (officially known as Hock Hin Keong or Cheng Hoon Giam) was built in the mid-19th century to honor Chor Soo Kong, also known as Qingshui, a Buddhist monk and healer born in China during the Song Dynasty (960–1279). The legend holds that during his lifetime, Chor Soo Kong sometimes offered shelter to local jungle snakes. After the temple was erected in his honor, it’s said snakes began showing up there of their own accord.
Snakes aside, the temple is a beautiful piece of architecture. In its earliest years it was a simple attap structure, a traditional housing style found in the rural villages of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. But after decades of improvements and several major renovations, it has blossomed into a magnificent structure, featuring intricate detailing on the doors and rafter beams. The main temple opens into a courtyard, where the Shrine Hall of Kuan Yin is located, allowing visitors to marvel at the beautiful plants that populate the garden. Follow the pathway and you will arrive at the “snake pool,” where snakes recline on trees among leafy green branches, either basking in the sun or taking refuge in the shade.
The snakes are thought to be kept docile thanks to incense being constantly burned. Locals will also tell you that many of the snakes in question, which are Wagler’s pit vipers and green tree snakes, have been de-venomed. Still, you’ll want keep your hands and feet to yourself at all times, and look around before you sit. It’s not recommended to bring small children, but the temple is a tranquil spot and they claim that no one has ever been bitten.
Know Before You Go
The temple is located about a 25-minute drive from downtown Penang, so either get a taxi, or catch the free shuttle bus. There is not much else around the temple, so consider trying to fit this in before or after the airport. On your way to the courtyard, you can also visit the exhibition next to the temple, which includes pythons and cobras. While entry to the temple is free, you do have to pay for a photo opportunity with these snakes. This is completely optional.
The Penang Snake Temple is about three km from the airport in Sungai Kluang, Bayan Lepas. Built in honour of Chor Soo Kong, a Buddhist priest and healer, legend has it that the monk gave shelter to the snakes and when the temple was completed after his death, they moved in on their own.
After that, the snakes were believed to the disciples of the priest, so it became the home to several resident venomous Wagler’s pit vipers and green tree snakes. The temple is also known as the Temple of the Azure Cloud or Pure Cloud Temple and was constructed in 1850 as a result of a generous donation from a Scotsman, David Brown, whom Chor Soo Kong is said to have healed of an incurable disease using local medicine.
When visitors think of Penang, Malaysia’s smallest state, it’s often summarised as ‘Asia condensed’. Penang conjures up images of clear beaches and Baba Nyonya culture (a blend of Indian and Chinese traditions). Meanwhile, locals swear by its cuisine and the island is the country’s unofficial culinary capital; food is practically a religion in and of itself and trying the local fare is a must for visitors. About 12km from Georgetown, the Snake Temple is one of Penang’s ‘Malaysia – Truly Asia’ sights, to quote Tourism Malaysia.
Some say the Penang Snake Temple is a misleading moniker because it’s not a pulse-quickening (read: dangerous) place to explore – after all, when you hear about a snake temple, most people expect pythons coiled around effigies and rattlers jangling away. Instead, the temple is a tranquil spot (as much as it can be with slithering snakes around).
At the entrance of the temple there’s a big incense burner which fills the main prayer hall with ‘smoke’: the incense that wafts through, acts as a tranquillizer, making them appear motionless, even asleep. Additionally, there are statues and carvings that make for great photo opportunities – check out the 600-lb bell in the main hall, brought from China in 1886 during the Manchurian Dynasty. It is rung on the first and 15th of every month in the Chinese calendar, as an invitation for those departed to pray. At the back of the temple is a snake ‘pool’ filled with fruit trees – take a closer look at the trees to see snakes coiled around the branches.
