Hinduism is the oldest religion in the world. Anyone can practice Hinduism – there is no conversion required.
One of the many glories of Hinduism is the wide variety of divine manifestations that have been conceived. The Hindu pantheon is rich in deities, all of whom represent the same divine Brahman and are powerful pathways to salvation. In short, there is only one GOD.
Saint Avvaiyar said: "Don not reside in a town that has no temple." A Temple or Devalaya is a place of worship. Deva means God and Alaya is House. Several smaller Temples or Sannidhanams are structured within the main Temple. A traditional Hindu Temple is built based on the Agamas, which are the Holy Scriptures on architecture. Agamas also provide guidelines for the conduct of worship (prayer).
We go to the Temple to communicate with God. We must remember that no one is compelled to attend a Temple. In fact, there is no compulsion whatsoever in Hinduism. Each one is free to develop his spirituality according to his or her own mental inclinations. So, if we choose to attend the Temple, the least we should do is observe the rules in the Temple so that we could obtain the maximum benefits for our spiritual progress.
Arulmigu Rajamariamman Devasthanam, which had its humble beginnings in the year 1911, today is magnificently seated in the centre of the business district of Johor Bahru which itself speaks volumes of the inherent divinity of Arulmigu Rajamaraiamman.
Arulmigu Rajamariamman was established in the year 1911 when His Royal Highness DYMM Sultan Sir Ibrahim Abu Bakar donated a piece of land and cash sum of RM500.00 to community leader Kootha Perumal Vandayar to build a temple for all Hindu devotees in johor bahru. Kootha Perumal built an attap shed and installed Goddess Mariamman as the main deity. However, in honour of this kind gesture of the Sultan, the Temple was renamed Raja Mariamman as Raja in Tamil means Sultan or King.
Johor Bahru is a city made up of a wide variety of people with different cultures and places of worship, such as mosques for Muslim, Chinese and Hindu temples as well as Christian Churches. Most of these places of worship were built in the 19th century when Chinese and Indian migrants came to Johor in search of a better life. In 1885, the late Sultan Abu Bakar developed Johor Bahru from a fishing village into an administrative and business capital of Johor and this development of Johor is being continued by the Royal family till today. In the city of Johor Bahru today within a small vicinity there are five different type of places of worship. The Masjid Abu Bakar, Arulmigu Rajamariamman Devasthanam, Chinese Temple, Church of Holy Light and Gurudawara Sahib, all within the vicinity of Jalan Trus and Jalan Wong Ah Fook, reflecting the harmony of different faiths all existing together for more than 100 years.
The Management Committee raised nearly RM 2.0 million to fund the re-building of the Temple. Of this amount, Rm 1.0 million came from Donors and well-wishers from Malaysia and Singapore. Another Rm 1.0 million was donated by Johor State Government under the leadership of YAB Dato’ Haji Abdul Ghani Bin Othman, Chief Minister of Johor. Today, the temple is standing tall in the city of Johor Bahru. The management committee would like to thank each and everyone who had helped in one way or another to make this possible.