Spirituality in a bottle

The temple’s roof covered with green and brown bottles.

LIKE an artwork of emeralds and agates, Wat Charok Padang is a testimony of the beauty of glass bottles in architecture.

Over 200,000 brown and green bottles were pressed into the cement lining of the walls and roofs of most of the structures when the temple was built 1999.

The temple is in the rural town of Sik, Kedah, and according to Google Maps, it is 72km from Alor Setar and 74km from Penang island.The bottles were all donated by the townsfolk and also nearby villagers, said temple resident monk Chaleen Rajagobal.

A closeup of the bottle arrangement on the perimeter wall.

The main attraction of the temple is the 9m-tall tower, studded with over 30,000 glass bottles and itself shaped like a bottle too.

The bottle tower has a feature for Buddhists who like to have their newly bought cars ‘blessed’, said Chaleen.

“They can drive the car into the opening at the base of the tower. A recording of Buddhist chanting will play from speakers and a sprinkler system will shower the car with water,” he said, adding that the prayer time for cars were from 8am to 8pm daily.

A view of the bottle-shaped tower which is installed with speakers and a sprinkler system to bless new cars.

Assistant chief priest Ven Ai Nut Ekliau said the inspiration came from temple chief priest Datuk Phraathikan Neuamarwutthammo Nueamchaiwan after he visited Wat Pa Naha Chadi Kaew in Thailand, which was decorated with about a million glass bottles.

Ven Ai Nut said that in October 2001, the temple earned an entry in the Malaysia Book of Records as the First Bottle-Made Temple.

Apart from the bottles, the temple also draws devotees because it has 109 bells used for prayers.

Met at the temple, Penangite Winson Ng Ze Yao, 29, said that he was on his second visit, his first being some eight years ago.

Monk Chaleen showing a bottle-embedded wall beside the stairs leading to the upper floor of the building which houses 109 bells.

“The uniqueness of the temple and the calmness here had always made me feel like coming back,” he said.

Another visitor from Penang, Tan Chuai Pheng, 28, said it was her second visit after about 10 years ago.

“I never forgot my first visit and always wanted to come back. I have been introducing this place to all my friends.”

Tan admiring the arrangement of bottles on the wall.