By Karen Bong
KUCHING, Oct 30: The Maha Kumbhabhishegam of Sri Maha Mariamman Temple is more than a religious celebration, as the sacred consecration rituals are believed to bring spiritual life to the temple and invoke divine blessings for the community and Sarawak.
Sri Maha Mariamman Temple Association Kuching president Dato Shankar Ram Asnani said the elaborate consecration ceremony was essential to sanctifying the temple and its deities according to Hindu religious traditions.
He said the rituals involved extensive prayers, chanting of mantras and sacred fire ceremonies, followed by the pouring of consecrated holy water over the temple’s towers and deities.
“This is not simply worshipping a rock statue. God is in form and also the formless, so there are everywhere.
“Here, when we do the consecration ceremony, that is proper prayers done to bring life to the temple, to each of the deities,” he said during the temple’s consecration ceremony along Rock Road today.
Shankar said the ceremony required careful preparation, with the appropriate date and time selected according to religious scriptures and traditional principles.
He explained that the temple’s construction itself had followed specific Hindu architectural and spiritual requirements, including the orientation of the building, the height of its structures and the positioning of the deities.
Specialists from India were brought in to undertake the necessary calculations and ensure that the temple complied with the relevant religious specifications.
He said the association also engaged experienced priests from leading temples in India to conduct the consecration rituals in accordance with the traditional Hindu scriptures governing temple worship and rituals.
The ceremony followed several days of prayers and sacred observances before reaching its culmination with the Maha Kumbhabhishegam.
Shankar described the occasion as a rare and significant spiritual experience, particularly for younger generations who might not have another opportunity to witness the consecration of a Hindu temple during their lifetime.
“This is not a game. You will see a lot of strange things. The forces of the divine in operation. It’s very challenging. One of the priests even got into a trance just now when they were carrying the vessel of consecrated water after days of prayers,” he said.
He further emphasised that constructing and consecrating a temple according to the correct religious traditions carried significance beyond the immediate congregation.
He said a properly constructed and consecrated temple was believed to generate positive spiritual energy that could benefit the wider community and strengthen Sarawak and its government.
“Why do we build a temple like this? It is very, very important because when you build the temple according to the religion and correctly, that will boost the strength for Sarawak and the government.
“When you have a proper temple, properly done, in a country, you see the energy is going up. This is something beyond me. You have to ask the experts, but I know this,” he said.
He said the temple’s restoration, which began in 2019, had been a long journey affected by the Covid-19 pandemic before reaching completion in 2026.
Shankar credited the management committee, sponsors, devotees, volunteers and supporters from different communities for their contributions towards the project.
He also expressed gratitude to the Sarawak government for its support through Unit for Other Religions (Unifor), saying the assistance had helped preserve the temple as an important place of worship and spiritual centre for the Hindu community.
He said the consecration marked a new beginning for devotees, allowing them to renew their faith and devotion while ensuring that the temple remained a welcoming place of prayer for generations to come.
He concluded by praying for blessings upon the temple, the community, Sarawak’s leaders and all Sarawakians.
“May Sri Maha Mariamman bless our temple, our community, our leaders and all the people of Sarawak. May you and your families be blessed with good health, happiness and strength,” he said. — DayakDaily
