Sydney Murugan Temple — Attraction in Sydney

We recently had two very different experiences at the Sydney Murugan Temple that left us feeling disappointed. On our first visit, we brought a lime candle as part of our prayer, and a temple representative kindly asked us to leave the candle outside after the prayer. We respected this request, and it felt acceptable at the time.

However, during a second visit, my wife went with her friends and was approached by a volunteer or staff member who informed her that each candle required a $5 payment, without which it would not be allowed. This inconsistency and commercial approach was upsetting. Temples are spiritual spaces where people come to pray and connect with their faith, not places where worship is turned into a business transaction. Devotion and offerings should come from the heart and be voluntary, not enforced through mandatory fees. Volunteers should be happy to help out of devotion. If someone prefers paid work, they are free to seek employment elsewhere. Please avoid acting in a bossy manner.

Additionally, there is a safety concern with the candles. Families, including children and babies, often visit the temple, and the presence of clay candles with fire around the temple poses a potential hazard. While the tradition of offering candles to the gods should be preserved, we recommend limiting the use of candles only near the deity statues. This would enhance safety by reducing the number of candles both inside and outside the temple. "If the temple were to stop selling candles, it could create a safer, more peaceful environment for everyone."

We also appreciate the temple’s effort to provide free food, as people who cannot afford to buy meals should be especially grateful for this generosity, Many devotees are more than happy to donate in support of such a helpful initiative. We hope the temple leadership will review these practices and ensure that all volunteers treat devotees with respect, ensuring consistency and maintaining the temple's welcoming atmosphere.

Thank you for considering our feedback. We hope these concerns will be addressed for the benefit of...

I would like to wish everyone a very Happy Mahashivratri & share my experience as I visited the temple along with my husband yesterday (on the occasion of Mahashivratri). The management of the temple is very rude, unorganised and egoistic as they were arguing with most of the people who wanted to worship lord shiv with offerings they brought from home (Milk, Gangajal, Honey etc). However, they were adamant about it.

Even though I already bought a $10 small pot of milk from the temple but wanted to offer my own purchased honey,milk, bael leaves etc.

There was no board displayed which advised what can be offered and what not. One of the priest’s confirmed that you can pour the milk on the shivling placed in the courtyard of the temple, when i told this to the person who refused to the offering, said “Priest is just an employee, he is no one and has no authority”. “I am the management and I am authorised to approve or disagree”. Then 2 other men joined and they started speaking in their language, and I found it rude as they started communicating in their native slang and I had to request them to speak in a common language (Hindi or English) as I don’t understand. All of them were extremely rude .

I understand the rules and regulations in place but please respect the the person who is taking care of your temples. Priest is not just an employee and as advised by you, but your belief, concept and thought process of running the temple without the priest is wrong !

I hope, the same “authorised” people read this and learn from their mistakes to be kind as well as respectful to the devotees, instead of continuing such ill mannered and uncivilised behaviour.

Everything is not a business! Learn to be a decent human first! It’s a temple and God is above all of you.:: seek blessings- DONT MAKE THIS A SHOP !

P.S - I have no issues with the priests and I have been visiting this temple for over 10 years.

!! HAR...

We went to the temple to pray in a spiritual place.

While reading the noticeboard a temple volunteer asked if I could read and objected to my wearing knee-length shorts, which I had worn as it was a hot day. He then handed me a notice as if I was guilty of some crime.

I asked what does it matter what I am wearing when we have come to pray and that I have been coming for years and no objections were previously raised. I also asked why many of the other people who were also wearing shorts were similarly not approached by him.

He said there was no rule against wearing shorts but what he was saying has been part of the Hindu religion for thousands of years and implied I was not Hindu for wearing shorts to the temple. He then said not to argue with him. As I walked away he then continued to talk about my apparent disrespect to Hindu traditions to someone else at the counter.

The temple is managed by the Ceylon Tamil community. Our actual tradition is for men to wear vertis and be bare chested in the temple. The temple volunteer was wearing neither a verti not was he bare chested. We did not traditionally wear pants or kurta tops.

I walked away disillusioned that someone was so worried about what devotees wore rather than creating a spiritually harmonious place.

The Saiva faith, which the temple is meant to serve, is born out of a reformation movement to make Hinduism accessible to the Tamil people in their mother tongue and be open to all.

I have no objection to encouraging cultural dress but it should not be to the exclusion of those who do not wear it.

Please educate your volunteers to treat devotees with respect, love and kindness. Our behaviour to others is just as important as our service to...