THE CAVE TEMPLE- PERAK
History of this temple
There are more than 30 cave temples in and around Ipoh and Perak Tong is one of the most famous and frequently visited.
I expected more people there when I visited recently - it was almost empty. It was a weekday though and I imagine it gets more crowded at weekends and public holidays.
There is an information plaque outside the temple which provides some background. It reads as follows:
"In 1926 Chong Sen Yee and his wife Choong Chan Yoke who came from Jiao-Ling province of China, discovered Perak Tong.
Picture 1: The Big Buddha Statue
On approval from the Perak State Government they started to develop the cave temple. As Chong Sen Yee was mainly involved in the planning and development of the cave temple his wife went all out to look for donations to carry out the plan, locally and internationally.
After more than 50 years of diligent and careful work in and around the cave temple, Perak Tong has become one of the best cave temples in Malaysia.
Chong Sen Yee passed away in 1980 and his wife Choong Chan Yoke in 1983, handing the heritage to the son Chong Yin Chat. He put even greater effort into the temple and thus enhanced Perak Tong into an international tourist spot in Perak."
Picture 2: The guardian deities of the Cave Temple
After climbing the steps and passing through the narrow entrance passage, the limestone cave opens up into a giant space with a high dome and branching off into hidden recesses and grottoes.
A golden sitting Buddha statue, 40 feet tall, dominates the temple. He is flanked by four guardian deities which I have seen described as 'goddesses' but since a couple of them have beards I doubt that they are female.
The walls of the cavern are decorated with colourful murals depicting characters and events from Chinese mythology and Buddhist scriptures.
Chinese calligraphy also adorns the walls some of which was painted by the afore-mentioned Chong Yin Chat.
There are numerous statues and carvings scattered around the temple, including a female with 18 arms who could be Guan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy. The strong aroma of incense mixed with the earthy cave smell lends the cave a special atmosphere.
Personal thoughts
So, don't miss this place and let's know some new knowledge about other religions temple too. No wrong in gaining knowledge right? You will feel some amazing and good vibration in this temple. You can feel your inner soul which is fighting or surviving in this rushing world. Give some rest to that soul. Come here to relax your mind, to feel a peaceful soul, and within an hour you will found out the meaning of life. Trust me.
Favourite Quote from Buddha
- Be patient. Everything comes to you in the right moment.
- The mind is everything. What you think you become.
- Pain is inevitable, Suffering is optional.
- There is no path to happiness. HAPPINESS is the path
