The Legacy of Jaffna Tamil Pioneers in Klang …..Subramanaya Swami Temple in Telok Pulai Road , Malaysia.

 The Legacy of Jaffna Tamil Pioneers in Klang …..Subramanaya Swami Temple in Telok Pulai Road , Malaysia.

By Sivananthiram  Alagandram , Geneva , 16-1-23.

In the current socio-economic political framework, it is quite easy to forget the legacy of Jaffna Tamil pioneers in the country in the preservation of Hindu religion and Tamil culture.  Just like the Vivekananda Ashram and the Kandasamy Temple in Scott road remind us of the legacy of Jaffna Tamils in Kuala Lumpur, likewise in Klang, the Subramanya Swami Temple in  Telok Pulai Road bears testimony to the legacy of Jaffna Tamils in making their temple a leading Saivite institution in the country by 1950.

The early Jaffna  Tamil migration into Klang and Port Klang began to gain momentum towards the last two decades of the 19th Century. Buoyed by world demand for tin and rubber,  British Malaya began to be described as the powerhouse of the British Empire in South East Asia and influenced trade in rubber and tin internationally.  In this scenario, Jaffna was increasingly relied on to supply the needed English-educated labour for the growing services sector. Loyalty to British Empire, skill in running civil administration and the legendary Jaffna work ethics were instrumental for the   Jaffna Tamils in maintaining their dominance and remaining visible in the colonial civil services and private sector including the plantation economy.   To overcome the many challenges they faced in their lives, they also relied on religion to fulfil their emotional needs and aspirations.  

In all the towns in Malaya where there was a large concentration of Jaffna Tamils, they made determined efforts to build and pray at their own temples. Examples of these are the Pillayar temple near the Railway station in Ipoh, the Krishnan and  Siti Vinayagar Temples in  Taiping, the Kandasamy Temple in Kuala Lumpur along with, Pudu Pillayar temple, the Athi Easwaran Temple, Sentul and Pranjothy Vinegar Temple in Jalan Ipoh,  Subramaniam Temples in Kuantan, Bentong, Kuala Lipis, Raub, Termoloh and many other temples in other parts of Malaya. Some of these temples have weakened in recent years and taken over by Indians. However, the Subramanya Swamy Temple in Klang has been in the hands of Jaffna Tamils from its inception.   

Around 1914,  the Jaffna Tamils in Klang made a  determined effort to build a Subramania Swami Temple on Telok Pulai Road. By this time, they made up 80 % of Railway staff and went on to saturate other government departments such as, postal,, health, district offices etc forming the backbone of colonial administration in the royal town. . With the emergence of a Jaffna middle class, financially supporting the establishment of the temple, it did not pose any problems for the Jaffna devotees living around  Klang. 

This temple even to this day continues to preserve its  Hindu heritage from Jaffna. From its very early years, the temple administration was in the hands of an educated Jaffna middle-class community which ensured that the temple could be run in an organised manner . One of the principles held by the committee was to make sure that the temple ceremonies were conducted in accordance with Hindu Agamas. To guarantee that the temple followed the rituals and ceremonies in line with the scriptures in Jaffna, they brought Saiva Kurukal priests from Jaffna who had undergone formal training in priestly education

 The unity of the Ceylon Tamil congregation and their emotional attachment to the temple meant that the number of devotees attending the Friday Poojas was encouraging.  The majority of Jaffna Tamils in Klang and its neighbouring towns like Port Klang, Banting and surrounding areas patronized this temple, especially on events such as Vaigasi Vesagam, Sivaratheri, Mahanoombu, Aipasi Velli, Vinayagar Chaturthi, Soora Sangaram, Thirukalyanam, Thiruvampavai,, Katppora Thiruvelar, Vairavar Pooja etc which were all celebrated grandly with devotion. 

he Maha Kumbabisham held in  1959 at this temple was one of the grandest events I witnessed in my childhood days in Telok Pulai living with my grandfather Ayathurai  Sinnathambar and the photographs of the event were displayed at his home for a long time.  The participation of women in the congregation was also critical for the successful development of the temple. Their presence in the temple in singing Thevarams during the interlude between poojas, bringing up their children to be pious and devoted, and their active participation in festivals like Kantha Sakshi, Navaratheri, Viravar Pooja  Katpourar Thiruvella all helped to build up a community with piety and devotion.  They were also instrumental in contributing to the building of a second generation of professionals who successfully entrenched themselves as upper middle class in the country and some of whom are managing the temple to this day.   It was also the second generation that participated actively in the  Hindu Youth Society of Klang which had close links to the temple. 

Whilst religion was important, the temple committee also viewed that the learning of Tamil was a necessity for the preservation of Tamil culture and religion. In almost all major towns in the country where  Jaffna Tamils erected temples, they established  Tamil schools to enable their children to better understand their religion and culture..  After  English classes in the morning, Jaffna Tamils in Klang sent their children to attend Tamil classes in the afternoon in the school building adjourning the temple. On weekends, the temple committee conducted religious classes often with assistance from religious leaders from the Scott Road Kandasamy Temple for understanding religious texts such as Thirukural, Thiruvasagam, Kanthapuranam etc. Some of the religious classes conducted by Ramanathan Chettiar were very enlightening. 

After the Navalar  Mandapam was erected in 1957,  the hall served as a venue for hosting Guru Poojas which were unique events in the country. The poojas remembering Sri Arumuga Navallar, Manikka Vasagar, Thiruganasambanthar, Sundramoothy Nayanar,   etc were all very well attended and contributed to the understanding of the role of these saints in promoting Hinduism. Likewise,  the Navaratheri festivals organised for nine days in the month of Purattasi were conducted with much pomp and devotion with dances by their children and violin recitals by Jnanambikai Ponniah. In the 1950s, a    presentation by Kirupanatha Variyar who was well known for his lectures on Hinduism presented a discourse on Kanthapuranam at the Navalar Mandapam which gave the Klang congregation a clear understanding of the key messages in the texts. 

Coming from a pious community, religion was an important component of the lives of Jaffna Tamils. For the early pioneers, leaving the familiar environment and travelling to a foreign land was not easy. At the time of their arrival, much of Klang Valley was still a jungle, uncultivated and malaria-infested. They faced problems in settling down in a new country particularly in adapting to a  different social structure and environment. The establishment of the Subramania Swami Temple gave them a sense of identity and belonging. The pioneers of the temple were men and women of vision and saw the importance of fulfilling the religious needs of the migrants and preserving cultural distinctiveness. They paid great attention to observing the religious texts in the activities as it was conducted in Jaffna.  They managed the Klang Subramamia Swamy temple efficiently in its golden era making their temple a Saivite institution to be reckoned with. Even today, their Subramanya Swami   Temple, the Navallar Mandapam with their distinct temple ceremonies and activities are hallmarks of the legacy the Jaffna Pioneers left behind for us. 

Sivananthiram Alagandram, 

Geneva, 22-9-22.

I'm Mrs Punithavathy Mahadevan; to my dear brother Sivananthiram,I feel very proud of you to bring back past memories to our minds,I was a little girl in the early 1950s when my father D.T.Gunaratnam donated the Temple Big Bell(engraved "D.T") still exists & 1008nos of Valampuri Sanggus both from India, whereby a 1008 Sanggus abishegam gloriously performed to LORD MURUGA for the 1st time in this Klang Subramania Temple in Malaya, thereafter followed religious discourses by Saint Kirubananthar Vaariyaar Swamigal who stayed in my residence at Telok Pulai, Klang... Good Luck GOD BLESS Thanks.