Festivities herald $3.3 million Murugan Temple

Thousands of devotees of Lord Murugan in general and members of the Sri Lankan Tamil community in particular will be excited to participate in the grand opening ceremony of a new Temple in South Auckland this week.

The ‘New Zealand Thirumurugan Temple,’ owned and managed by the New Zealand Thirumurugan Temple Society will be inaugurated with Maha Kumbhabhishekam (solemnisation) on June 8. Thousands of people will participate in the five-day festivities beginning on June 4, with daily events continuing for 45 days thereafter.

Located at 145 Church Street in Otahuhu, the construction and other cost of the Temple would be about $3.3 million, including future expenses of $600,000.

Temple Society President and Trustee Kandiah Kumarasamy said that the Project has been funded by a bank loan of $1.2 million, retained savings and donations from devotees. Many members make regular donations to help service the bank loan.

The Milestones

The Temple is situated on the fringe of the Central Business District in Otahuhu, not far from the motorway on/off ramps, affording convenience of access to visitors travelling north or south.

The Complex occupies 3625 sq metres of land, with ground floor (1285 sq metres), office (386 sq meters) and a canopy (630 sq meters).

The total area of the Temple at an earlier location was 431.7 sq meters in two levels.

The Society purchased the Otahuhu property in September 2012 and Chief Priest Rajarajeswara Gurukkal performed the ‘Bhoomi Pooja’ (Foundation Ceremony) on March 24, 2013 (see Indian Newslink, May 1, 2013). The Auckland Council granted resource and building consent in July 2013, and construction began in November.

‘Balasthapanam,’ the ceremony in which the Deity of Lord Ganesh is kept in a temporary shelter, was held in December 2013.

The Deities

The Temple will see the ‘rein’ of Deities from the old Temple, including Maha Ganapathi, Thirumurugan (Presiding Deity), Raja Rajeswari Amman and Navagrahas.

Deities of Ketharalingam, Maha Vishnu, Sri Bairavar, Ramar Parivaram and Athmalingam have been added in the new Temple.

Pillayar, Nataraja, Devi, Arumugan, Subramaniam, Narayana Swamy and Hanuman are revered in this Temple as ‘Eluntharuli Moorthigal’ (Graceful Deities).

Traditional style

Mr Kumarasamy said that the Temple has been designed and constructed to conform to the traditional forms of worship and celebrate all religious observances.

“The features planned are Kodikkampam, Pali Peedam, Raja Kopuram and other aspects that have distinguished Tamil places of worship in India, Sri Lanka and other countries. The Complex incorporates a multi-purpose Community Hall, which will be an ideal venue for language lessons, other classes, marriages, and social occasions,” he said.

Mr Kumarasamy said that as well accommodating a library, the Community Hall can be used for fund-raising programmes and welfare projects.

“With a fully-equipped kitchen, and car park facility within the Complex and adjoining areas, the venue would be useful to all communities,” he said.

The Move

According to Vice-President and Trustee Sathiyaselvan, the completion of the Complex in Otahuhu would fulfil a long-cherished desire of the members of the New Zealand Thirumurugan Temple Society and devotees to establish a place of worship for Lord Murugan, bringing forth the true form of Tamil culture and tradition.

“While the old Temple, which was located at 174A Marua Court in Ellerslie, served devotees well since its consecration in 2001, there were several challenges and constraints such as a lack of physical appearance, traffic congestion and proximity to a waste disposal company. The Society’s goal has always been to construct a traditional Temple for our community, and in particular to the next generation,” he said.

The Main Deities: 1. Lord Ganesha 2. Lord Murugan 3. Goddess Raja Rajeswari Amman