Sri Mariamman Temple

For local Tamils, the Sri Mariamman Temple fulfils the purpose of a Hokkien clanhouse: it’s a reminder of the motherland and the community bonds forged within the diaspora. In this case, those bonds don’t come from a benevolent society, but a typically South Indian temple, dominated by its entrance tower or gopuram. Erupting with sculpture, the tower serves several purposes: it represents Mt Meru, the cosmic mountain that supports the heavens, and delineates the line between this world and the realm of the gods, which begins in the temple compound. Local Tamils pay homage to Tamil Nadu by worshipping Mariamman, a mother goddess popular with diaspora Indians who represents the soil of, if not home, at least the land of sometimes distant origin. This temple was built in 1883 and is Georgetown’s oldest Hindu house of worship.