Sri Poyyatha Vinayaga Moorthy Temple - Malacca ( Melaka )

Sri Poyyatha Vinayaga Moorthy Temple

Sri Poyyatha Vinayaga Moorthy Temple is one of the oldest functioning Hindu temples in Maritime Southeast Asia. This Hindu temple is the oldest existing Hindu temple in Malaysia. Sri Poyyatha Vinayaga Moorthy Temple is located in the state of Malacca, and the temple is one of the few existing Chitty temples in Malaysia.
Sri Poyyatha Vinayaga Moorthy Temple is situated on Jalan Tukang Emas; this street is also known as “Harmony Street” because of its proximity to the Cheng Hoon Teng Temple and Kampung Kling Mosque within 500 meters.

The temple was built by Thavinayagar Chitty in 1781 after the Dutch colonial government of Malacca gave him a plot of land, Thavinayagar Chitty was the leader of the Chitty people at that time. The temple is dedicated to Vinayagar or Ganesha, the elephant deity. In the back room is a sculpture of the deity with the head of an elephant and the body of a man with four hands. There is another altar dedicated to Lord Muruga, the younger brother of Lord Vinayagar.