I had many little projects in mind to photograph while back home in Kuala Lumpur in February but this was one of them 'spur of the moment' events. It was done after squeezing in lunch with a friend, while wanting to do some last minute shopping before flying off and also before fetching my sis from her workplace all in the same day!!

Dharma Realm Guanyin Sagely Buddhist Monastery, Kuala Lumpur, February, 2006
A newly restored Buddhist temple in the heart of Kuala Lumpur city, the Dharma Realm Guanyin Sagely monastery on Jalan Ampang, boasts an impressive selection of bronze Buddhas up to 16 feet tall. A branch of the Dharma Realm Buddhist Association, which originates from America, the temple will be officially opened on March 18, 2006. In a multicultural society such as Malaysia, one can find an array of temples, mosques and churches in the city.



Enter the temple and come face to face with a bronze ‘Guanshiyin Bodhisattva’ with a ‘Thousand Hands and Thousand Eyes’ statue approximately 3.3 metres tall. The devotees believe that although the statue depicts a thousand hands and eyes, it is believed that they are infinite. With his infinite hands, he pulls living beings out of the sea of suffering and sets them on the other blissful shore. With his infinite eyes, he beholds all living beings and rescues those who are in difficulty or danger. Made specially and shipped from the Fujian province in China, the giant statue is covered with gold leafing and weighs a tonne.



The main prayer hall located behind contains three other giant bronze statues of various Buddhas. Syikamoni Shakyamuni, Medicine Master Buddha and Amitabha Buddha. From afar, each of the three Buddhas look the same but look closely and one will see that each one is holding a different object, a chalice, lotus flower and pagoda respectively. The statues are approximately 5 metres tall and weigh between 4-5 tonnes each.


The temple is open in the early morning until the late evening and admission is free. It offers various mantra chanting, meal offerings and other various Buddhist activities. Devotees are also able to offer light incense to express their veneration for Buddha, Dharma and Sangha and also as a reminder for good conduct. The Temple Abbot is the venerable Heng Jang.