From an Enclosure to Human-Scaled Encounters : Articulating the Notion of Third Space in the Vishwakarma Community Temple, Penang

Authors

• Sanjeh Raman

Publication Date

2024

Abstract

The Arulmigu Kamatchi Amman Devasthanam, located on Jalan Dato Keramat, in Penang, Malaysia provides entry into the cultural world of Pathars, the traditional Tamil goldsmiths who have long established their business in Penang. The continuity of this temple is studied through its spatial attributes and social impact in anchoring collective community experience Primary data was acquired through ethnography and secondary data was drawn from a document and photo review. The analysis provides a narrative account of the temple’s mandapa as a social space that facilitates the hybridity of identities that grow from this temple. As a representation of Bhabha’s Third Space and emanation of Lefebvre’s “space triad”, the mandapa within this temple fosters the lived experience of its users through bodily encounters, to renegotiate and reimagine their culture and identity that has been shaped by colonialism, as well as the transnational movement of people, culture, and memories.

DOI

10.1163/26659077-20242703

First Page

1

Last Page

24

Recommended Citation

Raman, Sanjeh (2024) "From an Enclosure to Human-Scaled Encounters : Articulating the Notion of Third Space in the Vishwakarma Community Temple, Penang," Manusya, Journal of Humanities: Vol. 27: No. 1, Article 22.
DOI: 10.1163/26659077-20242703
Available at: https://digital.car.chula.ac.th/manusya/vol27/iss1/22