History and Background

The forefathers of the present Northern Indian (Punjabi, Gujerati and Sindhi) community of Kuala Lumpur migrated to this country (then known as Malaya) in search of greener pastures in the early years of the twentieth century. Most of them came as traders and businessmen and many established themselves as successful entrepreneurs.

In the early years a few of the more enterprising immigrants got together and set up the Sanatan Dharam Sabha of Kuala Lumpur to act as an umbrella for the religious and cultural activities of the community. The Shree Lakshmi Narayan Temple had its humble beginnings in 1921 in a small single-storey terrace house on the banks of the Gombak River in a settlement known as "Gombak Lane" in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. The Temple was often affectionately referred to as the "Gombak Lane Mandir". Initially the premises were occupied by the Temple for a small monthly rental, but the members of the Sabha decided to pass the hat around and soon bought over the building. Names such as Kesarmal-Ramlal, Lal Chand-Amar Nath, Paras Ram and Rakha Ram come to mind as the founding fathers of the Temple. Colourful stories have been told of how the then president of the Sabha vowed to plunge into the torrential waters of the Gombak River if sufficient funds were not collected within one month to pay for the purchase of the premises. Needless to say, with the generosity and religious devotion of members of the community, the need to fulfil the vow did not arise.

The Shree Lakshmi Narayan Temple inevitably became the centre of all religious and cultural activities of the Hindu Punjabis, Gujeratis and Sindhis of Kuala Lumpur. A Hindi school was set up in the adjoining premises under the management of the Hindi Parchar Sabha. All major Hindu festivals were celebrated at the Temple. The weekly highlight was the Sunday morning programme which would culminate in the open-air "langgar" or lunch on the banks of the Gombak River. The Temple's building was one of the few that survived the great Gombak Lane fire which razed the settlement in the 1950s.

In the early 1970s the whole area was acquired by the government for further development in line with the Kuala Lumpur City Plan. As a result the Temple had to be relocated to a small rented house in another settlement called Kampung Kasipillay. The sacred statues of the Lord were transferred in procession with much pomp and splendour to the new building.

In the mid-1970s ambitious plans began to unfold to construct a grand new Temple building that would be nothing less than a landmark for Kuala Lumpur and a symbol of pride for Sanatan Dharam. In 1975, under the able presidentship of Shri Makhanlal Saigal, a plot of prime land was purchased in the Kampung Kasipillay area, a large-scale effort was made to raise funds, and construction work began on the new Shree Lakshmi Narayan Temple building. The effort and dedication of the devotees bore fruit with the opening of the new Temple premises in 1982.