Sri Aruloli Thirumurugan (Penang Hill Hindu Temple)

Sri Aruloli Thirumurugan Temple (5 March 2005)


Sri Aruloli Thirumurugan (GPS: 5.4253, 100.26831), or better known as the Penang Hill Hindu Temple, is one of the oldest Hindu temples in Penang. It started off in the 1800's as a small shrine to the Hindu deity Murugan - the deity associated with Thaipusam - by the Indian sepoys and sedan chair carriers, and is located at a mount within Penang Hill called Gun Hill. A trident, or Murugan Vel, was installed there by the devotees. Over the years, it was enlarged and rebuilt. The present-day incarnation of the Sri Aruloli Thirumurugan is a very ornate Hindu temple in the Dravidian architectural style of South India.

The Dravidian style of constructing Hindu temples calls for four principal parts. The temple proper, or vimana, is the shrine with a tower, a mandapa, or porch, gopurams, or gate towers, and chawadis, or pillar halls. In addition, there would usually be a tank of water for use in sacred rituals or for cleansing.

Another view of the Sri Aruloli Thirumurugan Temple (5 March 2005)

What to see and do

The sculptures on the gopuram and vimana are exquisitely ornate and colorful. Photography enthusiasts should enjoy capturing every small detail of the temple. From the location of this temple, one can get good views of the surroundings.

Nearby Sights

The following are some of the places you can explore in Penang Hill, arranged in alphabetical order.


Close-up of the sculptures on the temple (5 March 2005)


More sculptures at the Penang Hill Hindu Temple (5 March 2005)

Getting there

Sri Aruloli Thirumurugan is located at Gun Hill, a small hillock in Penang Hill. From the Penang Hill Upper Railway Station, walk to the main square, then climb up the stairs to the temple. Follow the directional signs.

The Sri Aruloli Thirumurugan Temple is on the map of Penang Hill

Penang Hill main page

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About this website

Dear visitor, thank you so much for reading this page. My name is Timothy Tye and my hobby is to find out about places, write about them and share the information with you on this website. I have been writing this site since 5 January 2003. Originally (from 2003 until 2009, the site was called AsiaExplorers. I changed the name to Penang Travel Tips in 2009, even though I describe more than just Penang but everywhere I go (I often need to tell people that "Penang Travel Tips" is not just information about Penang, but information written in Penang), especially places in Malaysia and Singapore, and in all the years since 2003, I have described over 20,000 places.

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