This harmoniously divine temple has its origins intricately belonging
to a mysterious ‘jeeva samadhi’ (spiritual tomb) of an unknown Hindu saint from
India. Upon entering the premise of the
temple, you will feel the spiritual energy reverberating from the ‘jeeva
samadhi’ wafting fragrantly throughout this holy place, as though allowing
devotees to breathe gallons of ‘moksha’ (self-realisation of the soul). This
saint is thought to have come from India, and had settled in this part of
Malacca, almost 120 years ago. According to the historical archives of the
temple, the saint practised a daily worship of a Shiva Lingam, and meditated on
a nearby hill, hence the origin of the temple’s name, which translates as the
saint’s hill. As ‘abisekham’ (pouring of libations) for the Shiva Lingam, the
saint had daily obtained fresh milk from a cowherd. Strangely one day, a cow
and calf appeared at the saint’s premise, and thereafter provided the essential
milk for the ‘abisekham’. Although the cow and its calf have long passed away,
a sculpture in remembrance of these divine creatures has been enshrined in the
temple. 
As the saint was knowledgeable and skilled in herbal
medicine, he was always sought by people of the surrounding areas, to cure
ailments that modern medicine could not remedy. Amongst his devotees, was an
Indian of ‘Nattukotai Chettiar’ ancestry, who tended to the needs of the holy
saint. This man donated the land whereby the temple sits currently, and was
also responsible for establishing the ‘jeeva samadhi’ for the saint. Before
attaining ‘jeeva samadhi’ the saint handed over the Shiva Lingam to the Indian
man, and ordained him to perform the necessary spiritual rites for the Shiva
Lingam. Soon the Indian man established a temple for the Shiva Lingam, but
consecrated the temple as a Lord Muruga temple, hence invoking the grace of
Lord Shiva’s holy son, Lord Muruga. Many devotees have witnessed a vision of a
golden hued, youthful Lord Muruga, smiling dazzlingly from the inner sanctum of
the temple, beckoning devotees to receive his vibrant ‘darshan’ (spiritual
grace). The blessings of Lord Muruga are apparent here, with the sudden appearance
of a peacock, which is known to be Lord Muruga’s vehicle. The temple
authorities contacted the Malacca zoo, inquiring is there was a missing
peacock, but the zoo management indicated otherwise. The sudden appearance of
the peacock at the temple, without anyone in sight, has prompted many devotees
to belief that this is a divine blessing from Lord Muruga. 
During Masi Magam festival, Hindu devotees from all over
Malaysia will make a pilgrimage to the Sannasimalai Andavar Temple. The two-day
festival will begin with the journey of a silver chariot bearing a statue of
Lord Murugan adorned with flowers, fruits, and adornment. The spiritual journey
will start from Malacca’s oldest Hindu temple, Sri Poyyatha Vinayagar Moorthi
Temple. The 8km journey to Cheng, will be trailed behind by frenzied barefoot devotees,
some breaking coconuts, others carrying ‘pal kudam’ (milk container) on their
heads as a sign of gratitude. Most of these devotees are completing a vow made
to Lord Murugan, requesting his spiritual blessings for achieving good wealth, health
and happiness.Sri Arumugam Gurukkal: 012-6980172
Address: Kuil Arulmigu Sannasimalai Andavar, 75250 Cheng, Melaka.
