Over 20,000 attend consecration of one of S'pore's oldest Hindu temples

More than 20,000 devotees gathered to witness the consecration of the Sri Sivan Temple on June 8.

- Anjali Raguraman

The Geylang East temple, one of the oldest Hindu temples in Singapore, has a history that dates back to the 1800s.

The event was attended by Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs K. Shanmugam.

Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the event, the ceremony's guest of honour said: "Today's consecration ceremony is very significant. This temple itself has a very special place in the heart of the Hindu community in Singapore."

Mr Shanmugam unveiled a plaque commemorating the consecration ceremony.

Devotees began streaming into purpose-built tents outside the temple from 7am, waiting eagerly for the main event — a Maha Kumbhabishegam ("grand consecration" in Sanskrit).

It refers to the process of pouring sanctified water from vessels on the roof of the temple.

From around 7.30am, chants and traditional music filled the air as a procession of priests holding pots of sacred water, known as kumbhams, headed to the roof of the temple.

Thousands of devotees followed the elaborate proceedings via large screens showing a multi-camera live stream of the priests pouring purified water, which cascaded from 22 golden "kalasams" or pinnacles at the peak of the temple structure.