Klang temple reopens after three-month break
KLANG: When it reopened after a three-month hiatus because of the movement control order, the renowned Sri Sundaraja Perumal Temple here did not see a big crowd, an indication that people are still being cautious about being out.
The relatively small turnout was a surprise, especially on a Friday when it is usually a temple worship day for Hindus.
Temple president S. Anandakrishnan reckoned that people were still being cautious.
He said the devotees who came in for prayers yesterday morning were only a small fraction of the usual crowd on Fridays.
“There were only about 30 people at one time and they left within 15 minutes.
“Hence, we did not have many people waiting outside for their turn to come in,’’ said Anandakrishnan yesterday.
The temple administration, he added, followed the standard operating procedure set by the federal and state governments diligently.
“We took everyone’s temperature and they had to leave their contact details as well as register themselves via the QR code.
“Devotees must also have their face masks on at all times,’’ he said.
The temple also made preparations to provide face masks to those who may not have one with them.
Anandakrishnan said he expected to see a larger crowd today, given that the temple used to receive thousands of people every Saturday.
Worshippers, he said, would be there to pay obeisance to Lord Saneswara, the presiding deity for planet Saturn.
“We are fully prepared to handle a bigger crowd, even though there is a possibility that not many people would be coming in tomorrow (today) as well,’’ Anandakrishnan said.
It is believed that only the Sri Sundaraja Perumal Temple has a separate sanctum for Lord Saneswara.
The 108-year-old granite temple is the biggest Vaishnavite temple in Malaysia and the famous one dedicated to Lord Vishnu in South-East Asia.
The Sri Sundaraja Perumal Temple used to receive countless devotees not only from Malaysia but also other countries in this region before the Covid-19 pandemic hit.