Dhammikarama Burmese Buddhist Temple

MALAYSIA, Penang, George Town

Dhammikarama Burmese Buddhist Temple, previously known as Nandy Moloh Burmese Temple, stands opposite the Thai Wat Chaiyamangalaram in George Town. According to temple records, it was built in 1803 on land contributed by a Burmese devotee, Nonya Betong. It is one of the oldest Theravada temples in Malaysia and was listed as one of Penang’s 15 historical sites in 1988.
The principal buildings include the main temple gate, the main hall, the Arahant Upagutta Hall, the Triple Gem Palace, Sasana Vamsa Sima Hall, the Buddhist pagoda, and the Dhammesika Betong Vihar.
The main hall was built in 1842 and rebuilt in 1988. It houses a statue of the seated Buddha in vitarka (teaching) mudra flanked by two disciples. The Triple Gem Hall was built in 1838 and is a Chinese-style brick and timber building with a pyramidal roof. Below the eaves there are decorations consisting of Bodhi leaves and long narrow grass. The hall contains a statue of Maitreya Bodhisattva. The Sasana Vamsa Sima Hall houses a 27 m high statue of a standing Sakyamuni Buddha. The Dhammesika Betong Vihar is a three-story building commemorating the donation of land by Nonya Betong. It contains the Parami Library, Sukhesika Lecture Hall, and a Buddhist research center.
On one of the compound walls there is a colorful relief depicting the Great Departure. There are also statues of the guardian Panca Rupa on the grounds of the temple.