Nagore Durgha Shrine, George Town

Constructed at the dawn of the 19th Century, Nagore Durgha venerates Syed Shahul Hamid, a 13th-century Muslim saint from Nagore, India – a testament to the enduring legacy of Tamil Muslim traders who settled in Penang, bringing with them the tradition of the saint.

Regarded as the oldest Muslim Indian shrine in Penang with its original structure impeccably preserved, Nagore Durgha showcases distinctive South Indian architectural influences. Its rectangular layout features small, tapered minarets at each corner, separated by delicate lattice screens, while a "burji" denotes the plinth level of the edifice.

Welcoming worshippers through a portico with four arches, the front entrance leads to the prayer hall, featuring two onion-shaped domes crowned by inverted lotuses and Indian "kalashas". An adjacent wall features a built-in arcade, home to various shops offering Muslim prayer essentials, jewelry, and the traditional "songkok" headgear worn by males.

Remaining a focal point of religious devotion for Indian Muslims of Tamil descent, the shrine commemorates feast days with ceremonies marked by the distribution of food and the raising of flags, perpetuating the spiritual and cultural heritage of its founders.