If you are driving into Kuala Lumpur on the elevated expressway from Putrajaya you might have looked down on a hexagonal shaped temple guarded by a pair of golden statues and wondered what it was. I did, and I went along to take a look.
Buddha Jayanti Temple is located in unfashionable Pudu district, where the scruffy end of Jalan Tun Razak meets Jalan Peel (a street named after a colonial administrator and former Governor of Hong Kong, Sir William Peel. Peel Rise, where I often used to walk in Hong Kong, was also named after him.)
Described as a Theravada Buddhist temple, it is a fairly modest construction, rather like a stunted pagoda. Although it is said to have been built in 1957, which makes it the same age as Malaysia, I note that there is a foundation stone next to the entrance which is inscribed 'The foundation of this building was laid by Y.T.M. Tunku Abdul Rahman Al Haj Prime Minister of Malaysia on 26th November 1966.'
There are both Thai and Chinese Buddhist influences in its design and decoration.
The large gold-coloured statues guarding the entrance are supposed to be Kylin (Qilin), Chinese mythical creatures sometimes described as tiger or lion bodies with dragon heads but other times as deer with horns and scales. Kylin are meant to have hooved feet like the one on the Kirin beer label whereas these statues have clawed feet. Whatever they are, they look imposing.
The Buddha Jayanti Festival (which falls in April/May) is the most sacred day in the Buddhist calendar as it was the day on which Buddha was born, attained enlightenment and reached Nirvana (died) – a triple coincidence. On this festival, Buddhist devotees reaffirm their faith in the five precepts which are:
Not to take life
Not to steal
Not to lie
Not to consume liquor or other intoxicants
Not to commit adultery
They seem pretty good principles to me but how many people manage to comply with them all?
The location is marked on this map. Since my last visit a giant service residence tower block has been built next door called Continew Condominium.
Address: Wat Buddha Jayanti, 317-A, Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 50400
email: general.selangorbuddhistassn@gmail.com
The temple is open daily 9am to 6pm.
Special events are held on Buddhist festivals throughout the year. These include:
To find more details of events and charitable activities at Buddha Jayanti Temple you can refer to the Facebook page of the Selangor Buddhist Association.
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