A large number of devotees witnessed the ‘mahakumbabhishekam’ of the nearly 600-year-old Sri Vedapureeswarar Temple after a gap of 19 years on Sunday. After preliminary pujas and dravya homam, holy water meant for the ‘mahakumbabhishekam’ was taken in a procession around the temple by the priests.
Pujas, mantras
The ‘kumbabhishekam’ was performed to the Raja Gopuram and other gopurams simultaneously. Vedic pundits conducted the special pujas and chanted mantras to the accompaniment of nagaswaram.
Police had made elaborate security arrangements for the consecration.
Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy, PWD Minister A. Namassivayam and Parliamentary Secretary to Chief Minister K. Lakshminarayanan offered worship on the occasion.
The renovation work of the nearly 600-year-old temple was taken up in 2013 with a budget of ₹6 crore. The previous consecration was performed in 1999.
According to an official in the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department, the presiding deity is a ‘swayambu lingam’ and was shifted to the present temple 100 years ago. The temple was rebuilt in 1788 funded by Dubash Kandappa Mudaliar with public support.