The resounding sounds of traditional Indian instruments, such as the nadhaswaram and the thavil, the fragrant scents of vermilion, holy ash, and sandal, and the bustling chatter of thousands filled the street of Serangoon North Avenue 1 on May 1.
The Darma Muneeswaran Temple, a fixture in Serangoon North for over a century, celebrated its third consecration ceremony.
A consecration ceremony is a sacred ritual that infuses a new or renovated temple and its idols with divine energy, formally activating them for worship. It is generally performed once every 12 years and this multi-day ceremony involves intricate scriptural rituals, intense prayers, and the pouring of holy water over the temple’s towers.
The ceremony was graced by Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam, along with Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth and Manpower Dinesh Vasu Dash.
The prayers in the lead-up to the consecration ceremony had started on April 27, led by Dr Pichai Gurukkal and his team, which also headed the previous consecration ceremonies of the temple since 2000.
Devotees queued up all along the avenue, despite the pouring rain, and waited for their turn patiently before proceeding to the temple. Arrangements were made such that devotees could choose to eat the annadhanam (food offerings) before proceeding to the temple, or after.
This allowed for a seamless flow despite the arrival of close to 15,000 devotees.
The infrastructure and arrangements were made accessible for everyone, including wheelchair users and persons with disabilities.
Wheelchair basketballer Vijayan Vellsamy, 78, shared that he had travelled from Bugis along with his wife and grandchild to attend the ceremony.
“I did not have a special ticket for the ceremony but just wanted to attend it and pray. I was well-taken care of and given assistance despite not having a special ticket, and I am thankful for the volunteers and the temple management,” he said.
There were many devotees who turned up early to witness the proceedings of the rituals.
Mrs Santhika Rajkumar, 54, a construction sector employee, who arrived at 6.15am with her husband to partake in the prayers, shared that she was happy to return to the temple after many years of not visiting.
Ms Siva Sumitra, a 38-year-old housewife, felt blessed to have been able to witness the prayers and rituals along with her two children.
“I was lucky enough to have gotten a ticket to attend the ceremony today given that I live in JB (Johor Bahru). I have my husband to thank, since his company worked on the renovation of the temple, and am glad to see that his travel to Singapore everyday for work has yielded great results in the form of a beautifully renovated temple,” she said.
More than 600 volunteers and 26 organising committee members were reportedly the driving forces of this consecration.
Organising committee member S. Rajan was elated to see the completion of the consecration.
“Having not slept properly for the past few days in preparation for this moment, it feels surreal to have seen it come to life, and I have my entire team to thank for it,” said the 62-year-old.
A volunteer at the annadhanam station, Mrs Mani Suguna, was ecstatic to have gotten the opportunity to serve hundreds of people.
“It is told that being able to serve food to people is a blessing, and am glad that I got this opportunity to do that today for this ceremony. I would have personally served more than hundred people, and it was heartening to see them all leave happy after eating a good, tasty meal,” said the 55-year-old pre-school principal.
Ms Janani Nathan, 39, a devotee, appreciated the efforts of the volunteers and the temple management. She shared that she was happy and pleasantly surprised to have had minimal waiting time before entering the temple to pray.
“The flow was smooth and the volunteers were helpful and polite, which made the overall experience an enjoyable one,” she said.
Mr A Yoganathan, 56, a management committee member, was glad that the rain was not as heavy as it was in 2000 and 2013.
“Anyway, it is considered a blessing when it rains during the consecration,” he said.
As the devotees entered the revamped temple, they were welcomed by new and repainted deity statues, modern transparent roof panes to protect them from rain or shine, and a new function hall which can hold weddings and other large-scale events.
The management committee shared that it was grateful for the support given by the non-Indian community to the temple, especially in terms of donations for the consecration and other temple works.
The temple’s major donors being non-Indians is a testament to the multiracial society of Singapore, the committee added.
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