Mariamman Hindu Temple

Mariamman Hindu Temple, devoted to the Hindu Goddess Mariamman, provides  a glimpse of Southern India’s exoticism in Ho Chi Minh City.   It was built  towards the end of the 19th century. it is a spectacular Hindu Temple and also worshiped by many non-Hindus residing in Saigon.   A common belief among the locals is that, the Hindu goddess Mariamman has miraculous powers. I have been told that she is particularly good for couples having trouble conceiving!   Mariamman Hindu Temple is regarded as a sacred site by many Vietnamese and Chinese. There is a  centrally located huge hall (mandapam) and inner and outer circumferences.  Dozens of  multicolored ‘vahanas’ for ‘utsava murthis’ adorn the interior of the temple. It sits opposite our local bakery so I took the kids over for a quick look this morning.  In hindsight probably not an intelligent thing to do...taking 2 cute kids to a temple where people have gone to pray so they can have some of their own.  They got attacked!!!  Poor Scarletts cheeks were bright pink from all the pinching and I had to physically intervene at one stage.  The incense smoke was so thick you can barely breathe and as I type it is still up my nostrils and on my clothes.  The kids said a prayer and placed their incense in the pots and I had to laugh when Christopher told me he had wished he could be transported into Mario Karts. It's all about priorities I guess!  The thing I loved about it was it is not really a tourist attraction as such but a real bustling place of worship.

The address is 45 Ð Truong Dinh, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam