KLANG, MALAYSIA, May 1, 2017 (The Star): After eight years of major upgrading works, the iconic Sri Sundararaja Perumal Temple has reopened its doors to the public. The cost of the renovation was about US$2.3 million. To mark the special occasion, a grand kumbhabishegam (consecration ceremony) was held there. The kumbhabishegam ritual is important for a new Hindu temple and is done every 12 years. In the case of Sri Sundararaja Perumal Temple, it marks its grand opening again.
Thousands of devotees and visitors congregated at the site. The temple’s priest led the prayer ceremony which saw a helicopter sprinkling holy water in the air, much to the delight of the boisterous crowd. The temple, which was built in 1890, is said to be the only one in Malaysia made of granite. It is one of the oldest Vaishnavite houses of worship in South-East Asia and also one of the very few temples outside India to have a separate sanctum for Lord Shaniswara.