Sri Sundararaja Perumal Temple.
KLANG – The Sri Sundararaja Perumal Temple, which is the first Hindu temple in Malaysia to be built from granite blocks will be consecrated in a historic ceremony, expected to draw over 100,000 worshippers on Sunday.
Temple president S. Ananda Krishna said the over a decade old temple situated at Persiaran Raja Muda Musa here, was previously shifted to a nearby temporary location to undergo RM10 million reconstruction and renovation works which took eight years.
“The reconstruction and renovation process was not easy… we conducted studies, unlocking mysteries of temples in India which could be preserved for decades and discovered that granite was key to solving the problem.
“The ceremony this Sunday is seen as symbolic as it marks the start of the temple as a tourist attraction for Klang and Malaysia,” he told reporters here.
Ananda Krishna said the temple is unique as the fine carvings on the granite slabs were specially designed by skilled craftsman from India.
The Klang Sundararaja Perumal Temple originally built in 1890, is among the oldest Vaishnavite temple in Southeast Asia and the first temple in the country to receive the ISO 9001:2008 certification for efficient administration.
The temple is also known as the Tirupati of Southeast Asia after the popular Tirupati Andhra Pradesh Temple in India which receives millions of devotees every year.
In the meantime, temple consecration ceremony coordinator P. Maheswaran said devotees coming together for the ceremony are advised to park their vehicles at seven proposed sites before getting to the temple on shuttle buses which are provided free of charge.
“The seven designated car parks are at Klang Municipal Council Plaza, Chetty field, around Jalan Tengku Kelana, Klang Komuter station, Kota Raja Stadium, Jalan Istana and Pandamaran Sports Complex.””
“This is to avoid congestion around the temple and to facilitate the ceremony. A total of 200 police officers will be on standby to ensure the ceremony runs smoothly,” he said.
— BERNAMA