History on Mount Matang Sri Maha Mariamman Part 2

30 March 2011

By 1873, over 100,000 healthy plants were planted in the estate but the yield was “next to nothing”. By 1886, the Government Estate had diversified into tea and cinchona.

The recruitment of Indian Labour was formalized by the establishment of the Indian Immigration Department in June 1897. The first batch under the Indian Immigration Agent arrived in June 1897.

The Matang plantations were abandoned in 1912. The Indian labourers were given the option of either returning to their country of origin or accept alternate jobs mainly with the Public Works Department. The principal deity Sri Maha Mariamman in the temple was reportedly transferred to the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple at Jalan Batu Lintang adjacent to the Public Works barracks (currently the site of the Sai Baba Centre). In 1978, the State Government had granted land besides the ‘rock’ in Rock Road and the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple moved to the new premises in May 1991.

According to an article by Saiee Driss in Sarawak Gazette (30 June, 1979), the Bidayuh Community in Matang was aware of the existence of the temple but they did not realise that the Hindus were scouting for the ruins of the temple.

The temple’s location came to light when Abi bin Benggali, a Bidayuh/Melanau hunter had sought shelter in the temple in 1968 during a thunderstorm. He had taken an elephant statute home from the disused temple. He returned the statute the next day to the temple as the family members felt that the house was being subjected to a storm during the night. The news of this event spread to the Hindu residents in Matang. Soon, the Hindu Community renovated the dilapidated building overgrown with jungle trees and shrubs and cleared the pathway to the temple from the foothills.

The temple was re-opened for prayers on 4 December 1970. At the request of the Matang Hindu residents, the temple was taken over by the Hindu Temple Association in 1976 and has been administered by this Association through a special Mount Matang Mariamman Temple Committee since that date.