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Climbing Mount Hindu Temple / Mount Mike

Last weekend I went for mount hiking with my friends. On top of the mount is a Hindu Temple, this mount is located before the Matang Family Recreation Park, inside the Malay village. We’re accompany by a friend that been there before, if not will not be able to locate it. Is been a while since the last time I went for mount hiking. One of my favorite hobbies is mount hiking, and jungle tracking. Kuching is a city that’s rich with rainforest and mountain, so that’s why I love Kuching so much.

Along the trail up the sideway are cover by tall trees, though is a very hot day but we are cover by the shade. There are three “check point” along the way up. Is mean that there is one mini temple on the bottom part, one at the middle part, and another one at the upper part of the mount. So according to my friend, when we reach this mini temple, we must stop and worship to the Hindu God in order to pay respect. My friend bring along some joss stick.

Just when I stop for photographing, one of my friend suddenly scream. We’re shock, and look back. He run toward our direction, and told us that a snake just drops from the mid-air and craw over his feet. And he still feels the coldness of that snake. I hurry run back, and look for the snake. Is a small green snake, and if not mistaken, this might be the green python which is a poison snake. *phew* lucky he didn’t bite my friend. What a close encounter this was, so from that incident onwards, my friend chooses to walk in the front of us.

There are a lot of wild mushrooms near the mount stream. Beside that there are also wild berries, and a fruit which look very similar like a lemon, which smells sweet. After one hour and twenty five minutes, we reach the temple. When I walk up the rock staircase, my mind start to wondering around thinking that at Kuching there is Hindu temple on top of the mountain; there is also a Church at mount Singai, and a Buddhist temple at Borneo Highland. Wonder why they prefer build holy place on top of the mount?

The Hindu temple is not very big, but the view up there is great. I’ve taken some panoramic shoot. But because of the thick tees, so most of the view had been cover by the woods. We went in, and worshiping. There is a Hindu guy inside one of the room in the temple, and we’re not allowed to enter that room. After finish worshiping, we stay there for a while to enjoy the mount breeze, and head back home after that. Another mount hiking adventure, my next target will be either the Santubong Mount, or the Matang Mount.


I don’t know the actual name of this mountain, but it have a sign saying Mount Mike. So this might be the name is this mount


this is the first part of the trail, looks very easy isn’t it, and is covered by sharp stones.


the weather was not, with hot weather like this I will become a negro when I reach the top.


There are three small temple along the way up the mount, and here we reach the first one. We all stop and light up the joss stick that we bring earlier on, and worship the Hindu god in order to pay respect, and asked for protection when we’re climbing the mount


we continue our trail up, and we are lucky to be surround by big and tall tress. We’re all been shaded by the tall trees, so no worries on becoming a negro.


this is a dead tree trunk, and the dead trunk had been “taken over” by parasitic plant


there is a banana tree, is very rare to see banana tress growing in a place like this. Or might it be…*cough* ok, let’s continue our journey…


this is the second “check point”, the mini temple is just under this rock.


So if we didn’t look carefully, we might miss out this stop. So as usual, we light up our joss stick, and start worship the Hindu God, then continue with our journey.


look at this wild mushroom.


there is also a small stream flowing from top of the mount, this is mineral water. It’s very cold, but I didn’t drink it.


One of my friend suddenly yell loudly, and run toward our direction. There is a snake just drop from the tree branch, landed on his feet and crawl away. Very fortunately my friend is ok, I run back to see the snake, and took a shoot on it.


wild berries.


my dear reader, do you know what is this called?


well, I don’t know what’s the name of this fruit. But it’s smell very sweet.


look what I found, pine tree seed.


another mount stream, I went to try the water. It was cold just like the first one.


wild mushroom


there are various kind of wild mushroom here, maybe because of the humidity so very suitable for growing mushroom.


Finally we had reach the last mini temple, this mean we’re close to the top of the mount.


I notice that the Hindu God were mainly worship with milk, and the name of this Hindu God is Sri Jadahmuni Devastaanam.


After 15 minutes, we had finally reach our destination. The Hindu temple is just a few staircases away. Can you see the one which cover by the red rooftop, that’s the temple.


This is how the temple looks like, a very simple and plain temple.


seeing is beliving – Build in the late 1860’s, during the era of the Second White Rajah of Sarawak, Sir Charles Brooke. The temple is an unique abode of AMBAAL, made of belian or iron wood. Located about 1,000 feet on a mountain slope with a pyramid shaped “Gopuram”.

The distant of the temple is about two and half mile (2 ½) from the foot of the mountain and it would take about an hour to reach.

One who visits the temple would experience the cool and congenial atmosphere at the upper slopes of the mountain, panoramic view of the Matang plains <-- (this I agree) and other landscape below and the 1800 Century’s Craftsmanship on belian wood.



Just when I was taking photos of the beautiful scene, my friend called me again. And this time is a iguana. I’m very fortunate to be able to see a wild iguana in the wild, I zoom in focus locked on, and immediately press on the shutter button. After I took this photo, the little guy jump away and vanish into the woods.


I’ve sign the guess book, and note down the time I reach the top.


L-R: Wei Yian, Wilson Chin (Me), Colin, Siao Ping, and Peter

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