A Spiritual Visit to Jakarta Murugan Temple with Amma

During my last visit home, I went to the newly built Jakarta Murugan Temple.

The thing is, we are a Ganesha-worshipping household. I have always felt closest to Ganesh, and my regular place of worship is the Shiva Mandir in Pluit, where Black Ganesha resides. At the same time, I believe that God—and all forms of the divine—are everywhere. Still, I was curious about this Jakarta Murugan Temple.

So one day, after finishing my WFH day—made easier by the time difference—I made my way there with Amma.

The journey took about an hour, and it was pouring when we arrived. From afar, the temple’s most striking feature was its Gopuram, glowing in a yellow-gold hue even through the rain. It stood grandly, visible long before we reached the entrance.

When we stepped inside, there was almost no one there. The temple was apparently closed for renovation. After spending years in Singapore, I should have known that temples have strict closing times.

Still, we decided to pray anyway (and were grateful to be allowed to do so).

We began with Ganesha, the only deity illuminated, as if he knew I was coming. I stood there for a while, letting the silence settle around me and taking in the surroundings.

The architecture is beautiful and thoughtfully executed, with Murugan imagery present throughout the space.

I could easily imagine the temple alive with devotees, incense, colour, and sound—so different from the quiet, half-empty stillness we experienced. Yet there was something special about witnessing it this way.

On the way back, I noticed the entrance gate properly. It seemed to blend Indian and Balinese elements, where the Gopuram and Capura coexisted.

I will return one day when the Jakarta Murugan Temple is complete, filled with life, colours, and words of hope and gratitude.

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