Mariamman Temple

A vibrant Hindu temple with a seven-tiered gate tower near Ben Thanh Market, often called "chua Ba An"

A few steps west of Ben Thanh Market, Mariamman Temple, also known as Sri Mariamman Temple or "chua Ba An", is the best known of Ho Chi Minh City's three Hindu temples. It was built more than a century ago by the Indian community living around Ben Thanh Market; in 1958, the temple was rebuilt in its current form on an area of about 1,000 m². In March 2025, it was classified as a City-level Architectural and Artistic Relic. In Indian belief, Mariamman is an incarnation of Parvathy, mother of the universe and goddess of rain, who blesses bountiful harvests and fertile land; people come here to pray for peace, family and children. Although it is a Hindu temple, many Vietnamese fondly call it "chua Ba". The front of the temple has one main gate and two side gates; above the main gate rises a seven-tiered tower decorated with statues of Ganesha, Murugan, angels and dancers. The sanctum sits in the middle of the grounds, about 0.5 m above ground level, surrounded by three U-shaped wings with 19 deity statues set in round niches. Behind the sanctum are three stone shrine towers: the central one is dedicated to the goddess Mariamman, flanked by the god Madurai Veeran and the goddess Pechiamman. In front of the sanctum, to the left of the entrance, is the lion statue Simma Vahanam; at each festival, the statue of Mariamman is placed on the lion's back to be carried in procession. At night, the red walls and multicoloured gate tower are lit up, standing out on the street. The temple holds a fire-offering ritual every day; on Friday mornings and on the 11th and 15th of each lunar month, more elaborate ceremonies are held, attended by Vietnamese of Indian descent and Indians living and working in Vietnam. The biggest festival is the Lady's Festival (le Via Ba), with a procession through the streets near the temple, followed by the Divali Festival of Lights. The temple encourages each person to light only one incense stick.

English text: machine translation from the Localis platform — proper names kept in Vietnamese.