Nagore Durgha Sheriff

Nagore Durgha Sheriff, Penang (25 January 2013)


Nagore Durgha Sheriff, or simply the Nagore Shrine, is a shrine to a Muslim saint located along Chulia Street, at the junction with King Street, in the Little India of George Town, Penang.

The Nagore Durgha Sheriff was built in the early 1800s, at about the same time as the Kapitan Keling Mosque nearby. This makes it the oldest Indian Muslim shrine in Penang. The Chulias are a South Indian ethnic group from the Coromandel Coast of India. They are Muslim merchants and moneylenders who arrived in George Town as soon as the British trading port was established.

Nagore Durgha Sheriff, George Town (14 March 2004)


Front view of the Nagore Durgha Sheriff (28 January 2009)


Side view of the Nagore Shrine, Penang (4 July 2004)


The Nagore Durgha Shrine honours Syed Shahul Hamid, a 13th century Muslim Saint who has a large following in Nagore. This shrine in Penang is just one of many similar durghas that have been built in the saint's memory across southern Asia, and is similar to the Nagore Durgha Shrine in Singapore. It has stood on the original section of Chulia Street from the time of Francis Light.

The Nagore Durgha Shrine in Penang is well-kept and painted a brilliant white, so it tends to stand out on clear days. There is a small arcade on the side of the shrine with a small collection of shops selling Muslim prayer paraphernalia and songkok headgear. There used to be a well somewhere on the King Street side of the shrine.

Minarets and domes of the Nagore Durgha Sheriff reflects its South Indian architecture (4 July 2004)

Getting there

You can take the bus to Chulia Street, or simply walk from the Weld Quay Ferry & Bus Terminal. If going there on foot from the bus terminal, take the pedestrian bridge to cross Weld Quay, then turn left and follow Weld Quay until the junction of Chulia Street Ghaut on your right. Take Chulia Street Ghaut, which becomes Chulia Street after the intersection with Beach Street. You will arrive at Nagore Durgha Sheriff on your right, at the junction with King Street.

Entrance to the Nagore Shrine (24 June 2005)

What to see and do

Though small, the Nagore Shrine is one of just a few remaining examples of early 19th century South Indian Muslim architecture.

Nagore Shrine is on the Map of Chulia Street, Penang

Nearby Sights

The Nagore Shrine is located within the core zone of the George Town Unesco World Heritage Site. There are numerous sights around it that you can also visit. Their location is reference to the shrine.
Songkok shop at the Nagore Shrine arcade (27 July 2008)


The Nagore Shrine of Singapore (8 July 2006).

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