Singapore:
A 120-year-old Hindu temple in Singapore was today thrown open to devotees after undergoing a 4.5 million dollar renovation, with senior ministers calling it a cornerstone to Singapore's cultural and racial harmony.
Thousands of devotees attended the consecration ceremony at the Sri Senpaga Vinayagar Temple in the suburb Katong on the East Coast of the country.
Former President S R Nathan, Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, Foreign Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam, Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin and a Member of Parliament Fatimah Lateef attended the ceremony Ministers -- Shanmugam and Tan -- described the temple and ceremony as a cornerstone to Singapore's cultural and racial harmony.
Tan said the temple adds colour to the community, and helps Singaporeans better understand a part of their culture and heritage.
The temple roots were traced to 1850s when a stone statue of elephant-headed god Lord Vinayagar was found near a Senpaga tree.
A South Indian architect, Palani Krishnamoorthy, and 15 craftsmen have worked on the renovation, adding decorative elements to the interior of the temple which follows the Chola architectural style.