Why should you go there and how do you do it right?

Arrive around 6:00 AM if possible. This is an active Hindu temple, built in 1879 by Vaithi Padayatchi, a Tamil immigrant, and dedicated to the goddess Mariamman. At peak times, the entrance area is so crowded that you'll almost be pushed through before you can properly take in the details. Visitors arriving on Saturdays reported extreme congestion. Weekday afternoons are also busy, though somewhat less so.

What you see here is South Indian Dravidian architecture: a five-story tower adorned with hand-carved, brightly painted figures—a striking contrast to the Thai Buddhist temples found elsewhere in the city. Photography is forbidden inside, and the sight is impressive in itself. Throughout the day, people come to pray to Ganesha, Parvati, and other deities. Therefore, consider this place primarily as a place of worship and only secondarily as a tourist attraction.