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Happy Valley Hindu Temple

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If you mention Happy Valley to most people in Hong Kong, they immediately equate it to the racecourse.  While this had an incredible history as old as Colonial Hong Kong, it is not the only thing of age in Happy Valley.  The cemeteries along the Wong Nai Chung Road, opposite the racecourse, are atmospheric and have been used since the early days of the fledgling colony.  On Blue Pool Road, an elevated Tam Kung Temple rules the roost and the old Po Kok School looks somewhat out of place among the modern buildings.  The famous Tiger Balm Gardens were torn down a few years ago to make room for development and the heritage of the area sometimes feels as if it’s teetering on the edge.  This is not the case for the other great resident of Happy Valley, the main Hindu Temple of Hong Kong.

“Happy Valley Hindu Temple” by Tom Billinge (CC BY 4.0)

Built in 1953, the funds for Happy Valley Hindu Temple were raised by the local Hindu community.  The temple entrance is on the street level, but the prayer hall is at the top of a set of stairs.  From the outside, the salmon-coloured building has little to identify it as a temple, until you look up and see the shikhara (tower) rising out of the otherwise modern building.  The shikhara marks the position of the sanctum sanctorum and is the key identifying feature of the structure.

Temple Courtyard

The top of the temple stairs open out into a courtyard and the first thing that greets visitors is a shrine to Hanuman, the monkey god.  Hanuman is the main character of the Ramayana and is closely linked with Shiva, the main god of this temple.  On the other end of the courtyard is the main hall.  The hall is not elaborate, but on the far side of it are the three main shrines to the gods.  These are strikingly beautiful and their colourful intricacies stand out in the minimal hall.

Brahma

The shrines are dedicated to each of the Trimurthi, the main trinity of the Hindu pantheon.  On the left is a shrine to Brahma, the creator god.  Brahma is represented here in white stone as a bearded figure holding a book and a mala (string of beads).  Next to his shrine, in the middle, is a shrine to Vishnu.  The sustainer god is accompanied by his consort Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth.  The four-armed god holds a few items, including his signature conch and chakri (spinning disk weapon).

Vishnu and Lakshmi

On the right hand side is the most important member of the Trimurthi for many Hindus.  Here, the community call him by the name Mahesh, but he is known to most people as Shiva.  Shiva is the destroyer and he is depicted here with his typical ascetic’s topknot seated atop his bull, Nandi.  He is with his family and Parvati, his wife, clutches their child, Ganesha.  A statue of their other son, Skanda, the war god, stands holding his spear next to them.

Shiva and Family

Happy Valley Hindu Temple is an important cornerstone of the Hindu community and it welcomes many people each day.  It is not just Indians and Nepalese that come, but also some Chinese worshippers.  There are stories from these devotees, that they had visions of one of the gods (normally Ganesha) and that they had positive changes in their lives since then.  The inclusive nature of Hinduism welcomes all to the temple for worship and anyone who wants to, can come and pray to the gods.

The post Happy Valley Hindu Temple appeared first on Hong Kong Temple Map.


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