Soaked In Rejuvenation - Once In 12 Years

Once every 12 years, a Hindu temple is required to hold a Kumbhabhishekam as part of its consecration ceremony. Kumbhabhishekam is derived from two words, abhisheka (ritualistic pouring of sacred water) and kumbham (a pot filled with sacred water).

- Visithra Manikam

The ritual is held to rejuvenate the spiritual power of the deities while providing the temple time to conduct repairs on the inner sanctum as well as in the outer areas.

I witnessed a Kumbhabhishegam ceremony at the Sri Maha Kaliamman Temple in the small town of Serdang in Selangor, Malaysia. In preparation for the ceremony, the temple went through massive reconstruction to replace the ageing older structure. To facilitate the reconstruction, the deities were removed and housed in a temporary building a year prior to the date that had been decided on.

The five-day ceremony began with the preparation of the kumbhams, which are filled with water and various herbs. The kumbhams are then placed into a yagasala (makeshift structure to hold the yagams). This is followed by a series of yagams, which are to invoke the deities with sacred mantras and fire rituals.