Tai Tay Eah temple

This is the 聖菓院 temple in Kuala Kurau. Not exactly in Kuala Kurau town itself, but on the southern banks of the river. Although the building is rather recent, maybe rebuilt on the same spot, the temple dated back to 1882 when the forefathers of the present townsfolk emigrated from Hock Kien in China. They brought with them the worship of the deity, Poh Seng Tai Tay (保生大帝) or Tai Tay Eah. It is either the original ashes in the joss stick urn or the deity's image itself that was brought over. If you ask the caretaker, he'd probably claim it was the image but it is very hard to say whether he knows for a certainty or he is simply repeating a story handed down through the generations. 

This is the same Tai Tay Eah that is worshipped at the Cheng Leong Keong (清龙宫) (established in 1895) temple in Jelutong on Penang island. Both temples celebrate the deity's birthday on the 15th day of the third Chinese lunar month. I got the dates of their establishment from AngKongKeng.com and if they are correct, then the Kuala Kurau temple is the older by several years! The Swee Cheok Tong (Seh Quah Kongsi) also celebrates the birthday of Tai Tay Eah, our chief resident deity, on the same day too. In fact, the original name of our clans house, prior to it being known as Swee Cheok Tong, was Tai Tay Eah Society when it was established by our forefathers in 1846.