Medan, the largest city on the island of Sumatra, dates back to the end of the 16 century, but the architectural history of the city is much younger.

The oldest Hindu temple of Medan is Sri Mariamman. Built in 1881, it is dedicated to the cult of the goddess Mariamman. You can visit the «possessions» of the goddess while walking around the Kampung Madras district, or «small India», as locals call this area.

It is not difficult to recognize the temple due to the sun-colored gopuram. Gopuram is a multi-tiered cone tower over the entrance gates and a part of the fence. Such an element is popular in South India, but the district of Medan is called «small India» for a reason.

Shri Mariamman is the main venue for believers on Thaipusam, the celebration of the full moon in the Tamil calendar, and at the Diwali festival, a significant Hindu holiday. The walls of Shri Mariamman are only 2,5 meters, but they don’t allow seeing what’s happening there. Therefore, go through the gate and don’t forget to leave the shoes outside.

Statues of gods – Vishnu, Ganesha, Shiva, Durga and Murugan – greet believers and visitors. The entrance to the temple begins with the Tuwarasakti arch, and above, there are reliefs and a sculptural image of the god Shiva. Tuwarasakti is a woman with a beautiful face and four arms, the protector of the goddess Mariamman. The statue of Lakshmi is on the right side of the front wall. In the center, there is a statue of a priest: the image of a barbel in a turban, symbolizing the Tamil people. On the same wall, there is the goddess Parvathi, the wife of Shiva, on the left. It is easy to recognize her by an ordinary human appearance: the two-handed Parvati holds a jar with water in one hand.

Today, this Medan temple is not only the worship place for the goddess Mariamman but also a popular tourist destination. Primarily, there is an opportunity to see a particular architectural style, reminding of the Hindu temples of Sri Lanka or South India.