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Dark clouds and heavy rain did not deter about 12,000 devotees from thronging the Sri Thendayuthapani Temple, on Tank Road, for its much-awaited consecration ceremony on Thursday.
At around 9.15am, priests stood atop the 23m-tall gopuram (the main temple tower) and poured holy water onto five brass inverted pots, known as kalasam.
Accompanied by live nadaswaram music and prayer chanting, the holy water was carried in pots known as kumbham from where homams (fire-sacrifices) were conducted.
Hindu devotees who sought blessings from the temple's principal deity Sri Thendayuthapani included senior citizens and the wheelchair-bound, who were assisted by 1,000 volunteers.
Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmguam and Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong were also at the event.
Temple officials told tabla! that 46 priests and 15 sculptors were brought from India for the consecration, which cost around $1 million.
Built in 1859 by the Chettiar community, the temple gained its present appearance during the 1970s and was gazetted as a national monument in 2014.
Temple president M. Saminathan expressed happiness at the success of the event, which he said took two years to prepare.
Thanking the volunteers, he said: "You call them, they come in droves. We are very happy that a lot of people are willing to serve."
janark@sph.com.sg
