New temple attraction
Devotees attending the Thaipusam festival this year will be greeted by a majestic 8.23m-high statue of Lord Shiva at the foot of the hill leading up to the Arulmigu Balathandayuthapani Temple on Waterfall Road.
Believed to be the tallest statue of Lord Shiva in the country, it is the latest attraction on temple grounds.
Work on the statue of Lord Shiva in a meditating position started six months ago and is expected to be completed before the consecration ceremony on Sunday.
Temple chairman P. Kuvenaraju said the Arulmigu Naganathar Temple next to the statue had also undergone restoration. The flooring and decorative pillars were renovated and given a fresh coat of paint.
A joint consecration ceremony of the statue and the Naganathar temple will be held between 8.30am and noon on Sunday.
Kuvenaraju said besides the Balathandayuthapani and the Naganathar temples, other temples in the vicinity were the Arulmigu Sri Ganesha, Arulmigu Idumban and Arulmigu Swamy Ayyapan temples.
Kuvenaraju said the construction of the Lord Shiva statue and the renovation of the Naganathar temple were sponsored by an anonymous donor who did not want the cost to be revealed.
“We are touched by his generosity and thank him from the bottom of our hearts,” he said recently.
He also said that besides local artisans, six sculptors and painters were brought in from India to work on the statue.
He added that vegetarian food would be served after the ceremony.
“The temple management has also constructed disabled-friendly toilets for both men and women at the temple grounds,” he said.
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