Top five Places of Interest in Penang, Malaysia

• The Sri Mariamman Temple
• Cheah Kongsi
• Fort Cornwallis
• The Jubilee Clock Tower
• Khoo Kongsi

The Sri Mariamman Temple

The Sri Mariamman Temple is the most popular temple dedicated to a Hindu God in Malaysia. It is located at Georgetown and is also the oldest Hindu temple in the state. Various forms of traditional Hindu architecture are depicted in the façade of the temple and it houses as many as 40 idols. The temple was built in the year 1883 and got its name from the Hindu Goddess Mariamman. The God is represented through four swan idols in the temple.

Main features

You will like the numerous sculptures of various goddesses and  gods at the façade of the temple and also at the entrance point.

The temple boasts of a tower, which is designed according to Dravidian architecture, a style which is native to South India.

The idol of Hindu God Subramaniam is decked with silver, gold, emeralds and diamond jewelry.

The temple should be ideally visited during the Thaipuram Festival which is held in the month of January.

Cheah Kongsi

The Chea Kongsi was built during the 19^th century by a man known as Cheah Yam. He was from a village in the Hokkien province of Penang and was a clan member. The Hokkien province was one of the first provinces where the Chinese chose to settle down when they migrated to Malaysia. The temple was formed by Chinese clans who wanted to represent their community in the state. The Chea Kongsi is an excellent example of European, Chinese and Malay influences. The term Kongsi actually means the house of a Chinese family or a Chinese clan. The site can be accessed only through a red colored small entrance. It is open everyday from 8 am to 6 pm.

Fort Cornwallis

Fort Cornwallis is one of the most popular tourist spots in Penang. It gets its name from the Governor General of Bengal, Charles Cornwallis. It is located in Georgetown and is right next to another popular tourist destination, the Victoria Memorial Clock. The fort boasts of features like a gallery dedicated to the history of Penang, a café, a tourist information centre and an open amphitheatre. The fort is one of the oldest in Malaysia and was built in 1786, when the island was under British control. It was built by Captain Francis, the captain of the East India Company for protecting the island against invaders. The original façade of the fort was made with nibong palms and it was only refurbished with brick and stones in the year 1804 by the Governor of Penang, Colonel R.T Farquhar.

The Jubilee Clock Tower

Like many other tourist attractions, this one too is located at Georgetown. It is a symbol of the long British rule over the island and attracts numerous tourists everyday. The tower is 60 feet in terms of length and the huge boundary wall of Fort Cornwallis can be viewed from behind it. The tower was built to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of the Victorian rule of the island. It comprises of three levels and the clock is situated at the last level.

Khoo Kongsi

Like the Cheah Kongsi, this one too was built by Chinese community of Malaysia in the year 1906 to mark the prosperity of the “Khoo Clan”. The site boasts of a temple with two stories, a museum, a hall with some beautiful carvings and a poaviliion, which displays spears used by the Chinese in parades.