Ling An Dian-Panchor / 靈安殿-班卒

Ling An Dian-Panchor / 靈安殿-班卒

Location:- Panchor, Muar, Johor / 班卒, 麻坡, 柔佛.

This temple is located by the side of the main road as you enter this small fishing town in muar. With a huge pai lou / 牌樓, one will definitely not miss it. Based on photos and news acquired from the Internet, this temple was also effected by the major flood in 2011.

Upon arrival, we were greeted by one of the caretaker. She was nice enough to explained to us about the temple histories and surrounding information.

It was during the 19 century, Chinese immigrant from Chaosan / 潮汕, China came to Malaya to work as rubber tapper and labourers. They brought along their culture and the main patron deity of this temple to this small town now known as Panchor. It’s original temple is located inside a palm oil estate not far from here. The old temple can be found in this blog with the title “Old Ling An Dian-Panchor / 舊靈安殿-班卒”

This temple is beautifully designed and builded with a koi pond by its side. It currently has a small palm oil estate located next to it but will be cleared for further developments. Two shrine were build by the side of the temple. One of these beautiful shrine is dedicated to the worshipped of Da Bo Gong / 大伯公 along with the Tiger god, Hu Ye / 虎爺 while another shrine is dedicated to Wu Ying Yuan Shuai / 五營元帥 also commonly known as Wu Ye / 五爺.

It’s interior is elegantly design with painting of mythological character on its beams and walls. It has two main altars, one on the main hall and another in the inner hall. The altar on the main prayer hall is devoted to the worshipped of its main patron deity Lao Bo Ye Gong / 老伯爺公 aka Bo Yi / 伯夷 and San Shan Gou Wang / 三山国王. Other major deities worshipped on this main altar includes Gan Tian Da Di / 感天大帝, Dong Tian Da Di / 東天大帝, Qi Tian Da Sheng / 齊天大聖, Shen Nong Da Di / 神農大帝, Hong Xian Da Di / 洪仙大帝, Qing Shan Huang Ye / 青山皇爺, Zhu Fu Da Yuan Shuai / 朱府大元帥 and Na Zha San Tai Zi / 哪吒三太孑.

On the inner hall, a huge altar over looking a small wishing pond, is devoted to the worshipped of Nan Hai Guan Yin Pu Sa / 南海觀音菩薩 along with Pu Xian Pu Sa / 普賢菩薩, Man Gu Niang Niang / 屘姑娘娘, Wen Shu Pu Sa / 文殊菩薩, Zhu Sheng Niang Niang / 注生娘娘 and Wei Tuo Pu Sa / 韋馱菩萨.

River Parade.

From a video distributed to me, in 2012, this temple organised it’s 80th annual festival. This temple organised its parade on the river travelling from panchor to muar. Multiple boats were decorated with dragon and phoenix along with the temples deities. Gongs and drums were rousing throughout the journey. Stopping only on selected location where altars were set up by other temples along the side of the river inviting them. Upon arriving to Muar town, the locals were already waiting at the jetty to receive these beautifully lighted boats and deities. Participants rested for a day before making a returning trip back to Panchor. In total, the whole procession takes 3 days to complete. I was told earlier by the caretaker that this is the only parade of this kind done in Malaysia.