The Danger of Walking into any Random Temple You Encounter Part 1

Image: Yakṣiṇī reared by the chief priest of a popular temple in Malaysia. This is not uncommon in Malaysia. In many Devī temples, the actual presiding entity could be a Yakṣiṇī or Piśācinī, in the guise of the deity like Kālī or Mārī.

Malaysia is a prominent hub for folk worship. We have inexhaustible shrines that cover our tropical landscape.

Contrary to Āgamic temples (temples built in accordance with protocols or guidelines as instructed by scriptures), folk shrines are much simpler in design and do not adhere to any fixed protocol or rule.

Image: Naḍukal worship - this was how folk deities were worshiped originally. There was no form. Form worship in folk culture is something recent. There was no ‘Muṇīśvaran’ either; the deities were, at most, called Muniaṇḍi or Muniappaṉ. The flexibility of folk shrines is reflected in this practice.

Today, you will find shrines that house both Vedic and folk deities in a unique diversity across the nation. For example, a temple with Munīśvara as the presiding deity, with Subrahmaṇya and Gaṇapati as retinue deities. These temples do not adhere to any Vāstu principles either. They can be located near waterfalls, beside roads, within forests, cemeteries, etc.

The features of these temples are not fixed. In other words, they fall under freestyle shrines influenced by acculturation, where a devotee establishes a shrine and designs the deity and mode of worship as he pleases. You will also find Hindu folk deities amalgamated with Malay and Chinese features.

Image: Lion-headed Munīśvara; a modern design of the deity in Ulu Sawah Vāl Muni temple, Negeri Sembilan

Folk Deities Are Easy to Invoke

Folk deities manifest intensely on the physical plane, making it very easy to invoke their presence. Furthermore, they are fluid—you can easily install a folk deity under a simple hut by the roadside and have Him / Her actively functioning there with simple rituals and prayers.

Image: Jalan Baru Muni Temple, Penang – one of the few folk deity temples in Malaysia built in accordance with Śaiva Āgamas.

However, the flexibility of such shrines also makes them very volatile.

The truth is, many shrines in Malaysia do not truly house the deity they claim to represent.

Imagine yourself driving through a rural interior and stumbling upon a roadside shrine. You decide to visit. The signboard names it as a Muni temple. Inside the hut, you see idols of Muni, Karuppa, and Vīra, quite typically.

Now, contemplate within—what guarantees that the shrine actually houses the mentioned or illustrated deities? Is it simply because you see an idol with six-pack abs and a machete?

Spirits Impersonating the Deity

It is extremely common for non-divine entities to impersonate deities. This happens when proper consecration (prāṇa pratiṣṭhā) is not performed—the sacred process of giving an idol life through rituals, transforming it into a vigraha.

An Āgamic prāṇa pratiṣṭhā or āvāhana is not always necessary for a folk temple. However, it is crucial to take care of the shrine and ensure the deity’s presence preserved. A qualified person must also initiate the foundation of the temple.

Folk deities can naturally preside in a shrine, provided the necessary rituals are done and there is regular interaction with them. You cannot expect the same in a shrine that is barely taken care of or attended to—which is unfortunately the case for many folk shrines in Malaysia. I have personally seen temples in estates that are attended to only once a year!

The Risk of Unattended Shrines

When shrines are neglected, spirits tend to take residence in them, feeding on the offerings and attention given. These spirits can even grant help to a certain extent, but remember—they are not divine. As such, one can easily fall into mishaps and danger.

Spirits often operate on a barter system. They are not concerned with your well-being. They grant favors only as long as their own needs are met. Sometimes, their demands may be vague, and in extreme cases, they could even require your life in return for fulfilling a wish.

Spirits are mischievous—and most importantly, they are not divine!

The case is the same with shrines built within a house. You may see an idol standing, but only God knows what is actually residing within it.

This is one of the reasons why people avoid non-Āgamic temples and oppose the idea of home shrines. The process of consecration and establishing a temple is an elaborate and intricate process. You are literally engaging with the infinite cosmic intelligence and condensing it into a space to benefit the public.

You cannot simply place a carved rock under a hut and assume the deity has been installed—unless, of course, you have reached a peak in devotion where a deity manifests at your simple call.

Spirits and Trance

You might have observed devotees going into trance during festivals. However, ingenuine trance often occurs under the influence of a spirit and is frequently misinterpreted as divine intervention. Trance can be genuine or ingenuine.

When commoners mistake an ingenuine trance for divine presence, the spirit seizes the opportunity to demand its needs.

Intentional Invocation of Spirits in an Idol

At times, spirits are intentionally invoked into an idol. Those who do this are fully aware of the spirit’s nature. Such shrines are often used for oracling (vāk), allowing devotees to receive insights into their future and fate.

The spirit provides details about devotees who seek help. Many well-known personalities in Malaysia rely on spirits that whisper information to them. Often, the temple infrastructure is merely a façade—an apple polish to mask the underlying reality. This is, in fact, a concerning scenario in Malaysia.

The Risks of Visiting Such Shrines

Visiting such shrines carries a significant risk because spirits have an unpredictable nature.

Moreover, these temples are not transparent. You cannot be certain of the rituals being performed there. Many such places are utilized for black magic and occult practices. By stepping into such a space, you are unknowingly inviting trouble.

Never neglect folk deities

A Muniaṇḍi shrine established during the Japanese occupation in Malaya, still vibrant in Kepong, Kuala Lumpur.

Nevertheless, never neglect our folk deities. Folk worship dates back to an ancient period and remains a defining identity of our culture.

As a devotee and admirer of folk deities, I sincerely hope that folk worship in Malaysia is restored to its authenticity.

I strongly advise anyone to conduct a background check before stepping into any random shrine—especially if it does not follow Vāstu principles or if you have heard something unusual about it.

It may be wiser to completely avoid a shrine you are unfamiliar with. Unfortunately, many well-known temples in Malaysia fall into this category.

Read Part 2 of this article here

READ MORE :

(1) Mechanism of trance

(2) Malaysian Mariamman temples and the negligence of local deities