Source: www.straitstimes.com
SINGAPORE, April 11, 2020: The priest stood atop the temple draped in red. As he prayed, the thousands who gathered below him fell into an expectant hush. “Let us now all receive the blessings of the Goddess Sri Mariamman!” the priest, Sri Siva Balachandra Sivachariar, cried out. “For world peace, Singapore’s prosperity, and everyone’s well-being!”
It was a big day on Sunday for the 184-year-old Sri Mariamman Temple, Singapore’s oldest Hindu temple, best-known for its ornate architecture and colorful interior design. After a year of restoration work, which included the repainting of the many statues and murals, the temple located in the heart of Chinatown was unveiled yesterday and, to mark the occasion, consecrated in a ritual known as maha kumbabhishekam.