tourism

Visit To The Murugan Temple In Jakarta, Management: Please Take Care, This Is A Sacred Place

The Hindu Temple of Candi Murugan in Jakarta will soon reopen for tourism visits. Visitors are requested to strictly adhere to the applicable regulations. "Please take care, especially those of non-Hindu faith, respect us, value us, as we are in the context of that place. For whatever reason, it is a sacred site, follow the rules and procedures as they will be implemented," stated Kobalen, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Shree Sanathana Dharma Aalayam Foundation, which manages the Jakarta Murugan Temple, to Kompas.com at Mid Plaza 2, Central Jakarta, on Tuesday (22/7/2025). He further emphasized that visitors are expected to maintain decorum, considering that the Murugan Temple in Jakarta is a place of worship for Hindus. He also mentioned that visitors wishing to create content, such as performing Indian-style dances, are allowed as long as it remains within reasonable limits. "Those who want to create TikTok content are welcome, but they must maintain decorum and so forth. Beyond that, I hope they (the visitors) develop a sense of ownership that this is an asset," he remarked.

As a national asset, Candi Murugan serves as a symbol of Indonesia's uniqueness, reflecting its diversity. Kobalen expressed hope that the renovation and preparations at Candi Murugan will be completed within two weeks, allowing for a more systematic welcome for tourists. "We are determined to make this a tourist destination akin to Istiqlal and the Cathedral. However, we need to implement a system and rules to ensure comfort for visitors, allowing Hindu worshippers to feel at ease and ensuring safety for all guests," he stated.

Visitation Rules for Candi Murugan Jakarta

Kobalen indicated that efforts are currently underway to better prepare for incoming tourists. This includes improvements in infrastructure, visitation systems, and regulations for visitors. "Please communicate clearly that we do not permit children under the age of 12 to enter the Candi Murugan Jakarta area," he remarked. This restriction is not without reason, as he explained that children under 12 may run around the premises, which could potentially damage parts of the statues.

Not only that, the organization will implement a visitation system that requires prior registration through a website or official page that will be provided later. "They register, and there will be a donation of approximately Rp 10,000 to Rp 15,000 for safety and cleanliness, as we need to recruit and employ additional staff for cleanliness and security," he stated. Furthermore, to accommodate the high enthusiasm of visitors, the organization will limit the number of visitors in group format. Additionally, the visitation time for each group will be restricted.

In the future, each group will be limited to 25 individuals, and daily visits will only be open for 200 to 225 people.

"Each group is limited to 20 minutes, so during one hour, there are approximately 75 people. We open visits from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM," he stated. Additionally, every visitor is prohibited from bringing bags of any kind and is only allowed to carry a mobile phone. This is due to concerns, he mentioned, that some visitors may act mischievously and end up damaging the statues.

From a documentation perspective, the management also prohibits the use of drones or unmanned cameras on site. "Indeed, our primary goal, aside from serving the Hindu community, is to become a non-Hindu tourist destination. However, we are not yet prepared for the system; we never anticipated that there would be more than 1,000 visitors," he explained.

To regulate visitors, Kobalen stated that there will be security personnel stationed around the temple to monitor visitors and ensure they do not cross into sacred areas designated for worship.

"If anyone violates the rules, we will hand them over to the authorities, and if necessary, they will be punished according to the regulations. Secondly, we will request compensation, and there will be a fine," Kobalen concluded.

Tag: Candi Murugan Jakarta Murugan Temple