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By VIVIEN CHANG
Photos by ZAINUDDIN AHAD and LIM BENG TATT

Homage to deity: Big crowds of devotees join tourists to visit the Snake Temple in Penang during the festive break

THE Snake Temple in Penang is drawing in crowds of tourists as well as devotees as the birthday of its resident deity approaches.

Many people who are in Penang for the Lunar New Year holidays are taking the opportunity to visit the temple while devotees sought good health and a year of smooth sailing from its deity Chor Soo Kong whose birthday falls on the sixth day of the first lunar month which is tomorrow.

Among those who offered prayers were Chua Boon Tai, 39, and his family from Muar. He is back at his wife’s hometown in Butterworth for Chinese New Year.

He said they picked the temple as the highlight for their sightseeing this year.

Pearly Hiew, 27, from Kuala Lumpur, also paid homage to Chor Soo Kong. She said she prayed that everything would be smooth sailing for her throughout the year.

Serpentine attraction: Temple worker Lee Chee Wei (in red) briefing Boon Tai and his family members (from second left) Law Jia Chun, 10, Chua Hui Ying, five, Chua Zhong Teng, seven, Law Swee Kim, 39, and Chua Zhong Yang, 10, about the snakes at the temple

A retired teacher, who wanted to be known only as Ko, recalled that snakes roamed freely in the temple 50 years ago.

He said that when he was on a school trip to the temple 50 years ago, he saw a snake slithering on the ground and he picked it up to place it back on the altar.

Revered tradition: Devotees paying homage to resident deity Chor Soo Kong whose birthday falls on the sixth day of Chinese New Year

Chor Soo Kong was a Chinese Buddhist monk who lived during the Song Dynasty (from 960 to 1279). When he died at 65 after a lifetime of good deeds, he was conferred the title ‘Chor Soo’, meaning eminent historic figure, and was worshipped throughout the centuries.

Legend has it that the deity gave shelter to the snakes from the nearby jungle after the temple was completed more than 130 years ago. His birthday celebration will run at the temple from today until Sunday. Among the highlights are Chinese opera shows at a temporary stage in front of the temple.

Posted by admin on January 27, 2012 under Tourism News.