Wat Chayamangkalaram

History

The site for the temple was cleared in 1845 after a piece of land was granted to both Burmese and Siamese community in George Town by Queen Victoria during the Straits Settlements era. In 1830, there were around 648 Burmese and Siamese people in Penang, which then had a population of 40,000. Part of the land awarded to the Siamese was given as a diplomatic gesture to promote trading ties between the British Empire and the Siamese Rattanakosin Kingdom, which was presented by the then-Governor of the Straits Settlements, William John Butterworth to two Siamese female trustees named Nankayo and Boonsoon as the community representatives. Inscriptions also showed that the building of the temple had been largely due to the philanthropic efforts of local Chinese Buddhists.

In 1845, the temple was founded in the given land by Phra Phorthan Kuad, a powerful monk which according to the local legend was also very fond of asam laksa. Subsequently, making the dish become a normal offering by devotees when visiting his shrine in the temple. In 1948, the temple was officially named "Wat Chayamangkalaram". Since its establishment, the temple has undergone several renovations, with the addition of other structures. A reclining Buddha statue named Phra Chaiya Mongkol was constructed in the temple in 1958 with a total cost of M$100,000 (Malayan dollars). In 1962, the temple was visited by the King of Thailand, Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit as part of their state visit to Malaya.